Literary Techniques Used In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson begins “The Lottery” by using specific details to develop the setting and mood of her story. “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (Jackson 134). This quote is just one example of the specific details she uses within her story. These details, however, give readers a false mind set of the plot; this story is not as appealing and desirable as the first sentence leads it to be. These specific details not only help develop the story but also give hints of foreshadowing, which helps build the suspense to the story. Mr. Summers, the mediator of the process, calls each head of each household in the village forward …show more content…

It is stated in the second paragraph, “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix – the villagers pronounced this name “Dellacroy” – eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raid of other boys.” This is a quotation of how author Shirley Jackson uses specific details such as how to pronounce the Delacroix child’s name to hide the cruelty that is about to happen. The stacking of the stones seems like innocent play until the stones’ true purpose becomes …show more content…

The suspense felt throughout the story does not necessarily contribute to scariness but the unknown. The reader starts out with one impression of the story then it is dramatically altered within a few sentences. Jackson builds suspense in “The Lottery” by constantly withholding any clarification and does not reveal the true reason of the lottery until the ending. The author reveals much about the lottery throughout the story: the importance of the lottery, the rituals behind it, and the process of the event. But Jackson never tells what the lottery is about or any kind of purpose. Toward the ending she begins to expose that something is twisted when the lottery begins and the crowd becomes anxious, and she increases this feeling when Tessie protests her husband’s “winning” paper. She also gives a small clue when she says that the villagers “still remembered to use stones.” Even though she gave many clues, it was not until the final sentence the author explains everything. By covering up information until the last sentence, she builds the story’s suspense and creates a outrageous, shocking