In the short story, “The Lottery”, Jackson’s use of symbols unfolds a twisting plot that isn’t recognizable until nearly at the end of her story. Her use of third person point of view is highly effective as it allows the readers to know the characters on a personal basis. With this, comes much irony and following of tradition that wouldn’t be as evident with other point of view use. She writes of only a few sentences that gives the reader a hint that something is about to happen, along with the villager’s attitude and unusual events. The reader assumes his own tradition that the lottery must be rewarding.
Jackson opens up with “the morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (156). Her opening paragraph describes the setting of a village, with the people beginning to gather to attend the start of the lottery; it’s peaceful. The villagers gather in a crowd in an open area where the square dances, the teenage club, and the Halloween program are also held. This community displays a strange mood. The men gather first and joke of tractors and taxes and only smile, rather than laughing. Children are piling up stones and selecting only the smoothest ones that they can spot . Here in this village, the lottery only takes about two hours with the 300 residents that currently live there. In some towns, the lottery takes nearly two days and must be started on the 26th. Jackson writes “it could begin at ten o’clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner” (156). This states that they want to get this completed so they can return home with their families and have a family gathered lunch. They obviously do not think that the outcome of death isn’t a problem with the lottery.
Jackson’s story is in chronological order, and yet the readers are guided in a different direction. There is essential information that...