The Lottery - Shirley Jackson

The Lottery - Shirley Jackson

The Lottery - Shirley Jackson (1948)

Literary Devices

1. Setting & Situational Irony

2. Characters

3. Plot & Freytag's Pyramid

1. Setting & Situational Irony

Setting = When? & Where?

Situational Irony - "When something happens that is unexpected or contradicts the current story."

What is the setting of the Lion King?

1. Modern times in Asia
2. Prehistoric times in Asia
3. Modern times in Africa
4. Prehistoric times in Africa

What is the setting of Harry Potter?

1. 1800 in England
2. 1950 in England
3. 1950 in Hogwarts
4. 1950 in Scotland

2. Characters

Characters = Who?

Protagonist = Main character or (anti-)hero

Antagonist = Main villain

Who's the villain in the Lion King?

1. Simba
2. Scar
3. Pumba
4. Mufasa

Who's the protagonist in Harry Potter?

1. Harry
2. Dumbledore
3. Hermione
4. Ron

3. Plot & Freytag's Pyramid

Plot = What? & Why? & How?

We can explain any story using Freytag's Pyramid, which is possible in five sentences.

In pairs: Try to outline the story of Lion King in five sentences using 1. Exposition, 2. Rising Action, 3. Climax, 4. Falling Action, 5. Resolution

1. Initial impression

· What kind of mood does the writer set at the beginning of the story? How does this connect to the situational irony in this story?

· What is the first impression of Mrs. Hutchinson in the story? How does that connect to the situational irony in the story? And how does her character link to theme of the story?

Answer the 5XW+H questions about Setting, Character & Plot

What is the first impression of Mrs. Hutchinson in the story?

2. Plot and structure

· Summarize the main events in The Lottery according to a plot diagram (exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution).

· How is the structure of the story used to build tension?

In pairs: Try to outline the story of The Lottery using 1. Exposition, 2. Rising Action, 3. Climax, 4. Falling Action, 5. Resolution

3. Character analysis

· Analyse the character of Mrs. Hutchinson. How does she evolve throughout the story?

· How are the men and women portrayed in the story? What does this say about the time the story takes place?

Which three characters are the most important?

1. Mrs. Hutchinson
2. Bill Hutchinson
3. Mr. Summers
4. Old Man Warner

4. Setting

· What is the setting of The Lottery?

· How does the setting contribute to situational irony?

5. Theme of traditions

· What is the theme of the story? What examples in the story support this theme? 

· How does the character of Old Man Warner support the theme? And how does the character of Mrs. Hutchinson challenge the theme?

6. Irony

· What parts in the story support the situational irony?

· How does the title connect to the situational irony?

7. Symbols

· What does the black box symbolise in the story? How does this connect to the theme?

· What other symbols can you find in the story to support the theme?

8. Conflict

· What is the main conflict in the story?

· Is the conflict resolved? And is the resolution expected or surprising?

9. Foreshadowing

· Name three examples of foreshadowing in the story.

· How do these hints prepare the reader for the outcome? 

Examples of Foreshadowing in the Lottery

10. Author’s style

· Analyse Shirley Jackson’s writing style in The Lottery. How does the writing style contribute to the building of the suspense?

· How does the writing style connect to the theme?