Q&A in The Lottery
How does Shirley Jackson's The Lottery embody irony? How is Jackson able to construct her story relying on such a theme? The answer to the latter question presents itself in the first few pages of the story. Jackson creates a seemingly innocent, communal setting that directly contrasts the ensuing horror of the Lottery. The very first sentence, "The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a fullsummer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green" (Jackson) is key. Jackson's use of words such as clear, sunny, fresh warmth, blossoming, richly green, all establish the happiness of the day and give no indication of how dark it would become. The people themselves at the beginning of the story perpetrate happiness. Children outside "broke into boisterous play and their talk was still of the classroom, and the teacher, of books and reprimands." Soon after, "the men began to gather, surveying their