Analysis Of Setting In "The Lottery"

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 12th grade November 2001

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Analysis of Setting in "The Lottery"Ã¯Â¿Â½ Setting, the time, location, and objects in which the events of a literary work occur. This important factor is needed to help the reader familiarize himself with what he is reading. Many writers use setting to "establish a realistic background, transport us to strange and exotic places, or even to create a certain mood"Ã¯Â¿Â½ (Paschal 4). For example, setting as described in "The Lottery"Ã¯Â¿Â½ is a small present day town on a clear and sunny summer day. Shirley Jackson makes this known because it sets the mood in the beginning for the ironic turnaround at the end. With her intent to shock the reader she uses key points the first of such is the time period that the story takes place. Jackson's story takes place during the beginning of summer right around the time that school is let out for summer recess. Second is the location of the lottery.

She has the drawing held in the middle of town, the same place that they hold all of there family events. Third would be the actual black box that they put the ballots in, she uses this as a symbol of tradition. Jackson's brilliant use of setting ironically shows her intent to instill shock in the minds of her readers.

As we study further into the setting of Jackson's "The Lottery"Ã¯Â¿Â½ we come to the first key point which is the time period that the story takes place. Jackson states that it is June 27th, which can be associated with the summer solstice, or the longest day of summer. This day has also been known to have ritualistic overtones. The year is left open to give the reader the sense that the story is current. The time is set at around 10:00am and it says...