Shirley Jackson was born on December 14 1919

Shirley Jackson was born on December 14, 1919 to Leslie and Geraldine Jackson and grew up about thirty miles away from San Francisco in California. As a child, Shirley was interested in sports and literature and began writing poetry and short stories. Jackson enrolled in the liberal arts program at the University of Rochester in 1934. But after periods of unhappiness and questioning the loyalty of her friends, she withdrew from the university. For the next year Shirley worked night and day on her writing. In doing so she established work habits, which she maintained for the rest of her life. In 1937, she entered Syracuse University. For the next two years, while at Syracuse, Shirley published, fifteen pieces in campus magazines and became fiction editor of "The Syracusan", a campus humor magazine.

In 1940, after their graduation Stanley Edgar Hyman (fellow classmate) and Jackson were married. The publication of the short story, "The Lottery", brought fame, as well as letters from readers all over the country. But more often there were abusive letters from people who did not understand her motives or what she was trying to do. Even though Jackson was raising four children while her husband went to work, she still found time to write. In 1949, the Hymans moved to Westport, Connecticut. During the 1950 s, while her children were growing up, Jackson published at least forty-four short stories, six articles; two book-length family chronicles; one children`s nonfiction book; and four novels. In 1952, "The Lottery" was adapted for television and it was performed as a play. Probably one of Miss Jackson`s more pleasant tasks was the writing of "The Witchcraft of Salem Village”. She had been asked to write the nonfiction book since her publicity after "The Lottery" indicated that she had witchlike traits, and she jokingly proclaimed herself the only practicing witch in New England. Always a nervous and rather tense person, she was now under the care of a psychiatrist. But even during the worst periods, she never stopped working; she used her typewriter as therapy-to write pages and pages of anything she pleased to unburden herself of depression into which she sank. The sad fact was that, though the mind was well again, the body was not. On the afternoon of August 8, 1965, Shirley Jackson went upstairs to take her usual nap. However, this time, Jackson did not awake. Information From: http: //reagan. underthesun. cc/sjackson 1. html

written in 1948 The people of a small village gather in the town square for the annual lottery. They merrily discuss trivial events and the lottery taking place, while waiting for the ceremony to begin. To begin the lottery, the men of each family draws a piece of paper from an old black box. One paper is marked by a black dot. The Hutchinson family draws the dot and must return their papers to the empty box. They draw again to find one winner. At the climax of the story, Mrs. Hutchinson draws the paper with the black dot, complaining how unfair and wrong the lottery was. Clutching rocks, all the townspeople (including the Hutchinson family) then close in on Mrs. Hutchinson and stone her.

• Bobby Martin, Harry Jones, and • Mrs. Hutchinson- wife of Bill Dickie Delacriox- boys in the who arrived late to the beginning of the novel; piling the lottery because she forgot stones and guarding them what day it was. She drew the • Mr. Summers- lottery conductor blot dot the second time and was the person stoned • Mr. Graves- postmaster; assisted Mr. Summers • Mr. Adams – member of the town who spoke of the north • Mr. Martin and Baxter Martinvillage that was talking of helped Mr. Summers hold the box giving up the lottery while he stirred the papers inside • Old Man Warner- 77 years • Bill Hutchinson- drew the winning old; man who represents that piece of paper during the lottery people are stuck in their ways and are not willing to change

To show human actions and the nature of our actions in a sort of mocking manner. The selection stresses the importance of questioning what is put in front of you as opposed to conforming mindlessly. Life isn’t always fair. You can’t avoid fate and what might happen to you. People are afraid of change and stuck in their ways. Change can be for the best.

The stoning is a symbol for similar activities that go on today, such as: ritual killings or things that are trivial such as popular clothing The author uses foreshadowing to hint at the stoning that is to come. The little boys make piles of rocks in the beginning of the story, foreshadowing what is to come.

The story is told only by what is seen and heard in the story. The story is not commented on, interpreted, or allowed to enter the characters minds. This adds the element of suspense to the story, for we do not truly understand what the lottery is till the very end, and we do not know how the people feel about it.

1. What role does Old Man Warner play? 2. How did Old Man Warner react to the fact that in the north villages “they’re talking of giving up the lottery”? 3. What is the irony of the story? 4. What different attitudes about the lottery are represented by the characters? 5. Where does the lottery take place? Describe the setting. 6. Interpret The Lottery symbolically or allegorically.

Compare and Contrast the mood of the short story “The Lottery” from the beginning of the story to the end. Be sure to include the techniques the author uses to show us the mood. (use p. 421 1 st 2 paragraphs and p. 427 from “Mr. Graves opened” to “stir in the crowd. ” for the comparison.