The Lottery

            A Close Encounter with Shirley Jackson's.
            
             "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is a story in which the setting sets up the reader.
             to think of positive outcomes. This description of the setting foreshadows exactly the.
             opposite of what is to come. From the beggining Jackson takes great pains to present her.
             short story as a folk story. Slowly, it dawns on us, the terrible outcome of what she.
             describes. The theme learned at the end of the story leads us to think of where the sanity.
             of human beings lies. In addition, the most important conflict is betweeen subject matter.
             and the way the story is told.
             From the very first sentence of the story, "The morning of June 27th was clear and.
             sunny, with the fresh warmth." We are given the feeling of a rural world. Shirley.
             Jackson tells the reader what time of day (10:00) and what time of year ("summer") the.
             story takes place. This is important to get the reader to focus on what a typical day it is in.
             a small town. She also describes that "School was recently over for the summer", letting.
             the reader infer that the time of year is early summer. The beauty of the day and the.
             brilliance of nature is stressed by "clear and sunny,with fresh warmth.flowers were.
             blooming profusely and the grass was richly green." This provides the positive outlook.
             and lets the reader relax into what seems a comfortable setting for the story.
             The description of the people and their actions is very typical. Children play happily,.
             women gossip, and men casually talk about farming. Everyone is coming together for.
             what looks enjoyable, festive, even a celebratory occasion. However, the pleasant.
             description of the setting creates a facade within the story.
             The setting covers the ritualistic and brutally, violent traditions such as the later.
             stoning of Ms. Hutchinson, who dared to defy tradition. The immediate conflict is the.
             passions of the townspeople who gather for the emotional trial known as "The Lottery.