The Lottery by Shirly Jackson

The Lottery by Shirly Jackson is a short story that is very deceitful and has a sick twist at the end of the story. There are many points though out the play where Jackson uses foreshadowing to imply that the "lottery" taking place is not what it appears to be on the surface. The setting shows that it is a lovely summer day, but the peculiar children are, "Selecting the smoothest and roundest stones" (Jackson, 264). These actions immediately begin to raise questions and cause the reader to think twice about what is actually going on. Jackson is able to confuse the reader by creating such a peaceful image of the day in order to embed hints to what is truly going to happen at the end of the story. By using foreshadowing as a literary technique, Jackson challenges the reader to focus on details in order to gain a better understanding of the traditions this village participates in. Mr. Adams later states, "'That over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery" (Jackson, 268). Mr. Adams, through the use of foreshadowing, helps the reader to see that something more is going on than a normal lottery. These small details that Jackson uses help the reader to see that the lottery is going to have a negative ending. Most good lotteries do not involve gathering stones and discussing how other villages are not continuing this tradition.