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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 6 page paper discusses some of the literary techniques Shirley Jackson uses in her short story The Lottery. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
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6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: KV32_HV683641.rtf
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literary devices to reveal the meaning of her story. Discussion The Lottery caused a tremendous backlash when it was first published, possibly because people dont like to admit that there
is something primitive in all of us that could easily revert to the savagery exhibited by the characters in the story. But the depth of their depravity doesnt become clear
until the very end of the tale. Jackson uses several literary techniques to create suspense and keep the reader uncertain about whats happening. These include irony, juxtaposition, foreshadowing, and
figurative language. The story in brief is this: every year, a village holds a "lottery" in which the "winner" is stoned to
death, presumably to insure a good harvest, though its not really clear what the origins are (Jackson). The story shows us the reactions of the participants in this ritual.
Boysen argues that Jacksons artistry is most clearly displayed in her use of irony, which he defines as the "use of the
unexpected." Boysen is a professor so he should know better. Irony is the use of language to express not only the unexpected, but at times the exact opposite of what
is being said. The once well-known short stories of O. Henry are masterpieces of irony: in one, the wife cuts off her hair to buy a watch fob as a
Christmas present for her husband; he sells his watch to buy a comb for her hair (Henry). That is one of the best examples of irony its possible to imagine.
But there is irony here. For instance, Jacksons first paragraph describes the day of the lottery as "clear and sunny, with the fresh
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