The Importance Of Normality In The Lottery By Shurley Jackson

There is more than what meets the eye In “The Lottery” Shurley Jackson portrays a small village as a normal place to live. In this small town there is this lottery that happens once a year in the towns square. On this special day, Jackson describes kids being kids playing with one another, and women gossiping bringing this sense of normalcy to what is happening as this story goes on. Mr. Summers, the man who oversees the lottery, is described as the head figure of the village by Jackson. Mr. Summers runs the civic duties of the town and is responsible for making sure that the Lottery is run smoothly. As the lottery is taking place, the reader is constantly thinking what happens when a person is selected from the black box. Jackson maintains

Jackson uses normalcy even though some situations weren’t normal. “It’s Tessie,” Mr. Summers said, and his voice was hushed. “Show us her paper Bill.” Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paper out of her hand. Bill Hutchinson held it up and there was a stir in the crowd. (Jackson 141) Tessie’s name was pulled from the black box Mr. Summer casually says her name. Tessie’s husband Bill, holds the paper slip up in the air like it is some noble feat that his wife has been selected to be stoned. Jackson tricks the reader into thinking that Tessie is being honored by her husband by holding the paper in the air in front of the crowd. Jackson uses the stir in the crowd to deceive the reader into thinking that people are mad that it wasn’t them selected in the lottery when it is pretty much the opposite. “Some places have already quit lotteries,” Mrs. Addams said. Nothing but trouble in that,” Old Man Warner said stoutly. “Pack of young fools.”(Jackson 139) Old Man Warner is lecturing Mrs. Adams that not having the Lotter is foolish and people are fools if they believe in breaking tradition. In this quote, Jackson is using a typical conversation and making it bizarre and inhumane. Talking about stoning an innocent person just because of a drawing out of a black box is being foolish is preposterous. Jackson acts like these are normal situations but when you find

The setting in a story allows to create a clearer picture in the readers mind and easily relate to what the characters are feeling. Jackson uses normal descriptions tricking the reader into a false commonality. The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny with the fresh warmth of a full summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely (Jackson 134). Jackson uses a beautiful summer day to get the reader to think of good thoughts of what happens on a summer day. This description of setting happens in the beginning of the story, so right away Jackson is trying to deceive the reader into thinking that June 27th is perfect day. The reader’s mindset is not thinking about how someone is supposed to get stoned on a fresh summer day. Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of planting, and rain, tractors and taxes. The women wearing faded house dresses and sweater came shortly after their menfolk. They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to joint their husbands (Jackson 135). The men and women are waiting for the lottery to start and are passing the time by socializing with each other. A summer day where woman dress in their house dresses seems like marvelous time to anybody. Women are talking about the latest gossip and the men are talking about tractors and taxes. Jackson makes the people seem oblivious to the fact that someone is going to die in 2 hours while the reader is picturing a