The first indication is seen in the way people keep “their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool” where the lottery box is placed (Jackson, 1948, para. Jackson leaves clues indicating that something is wrong as the beautiful summer day emerges into the stressful and quiet atmosphere when the villagers start drawing pieces of paper from the black box. As the story progresses, there are more hints of the negative finale the author of the short story implies.

The violence and the murder that happen at the end of the story do not correlate to such civil activities.

The lottery itself is compared to “the square dances, the teenage club, the Halloween program” navigated by Mr. The author tries to confuse the reader with the conversation of the gatherers who discuss “planting and rain, tractors and taxes,” and nothing out of the ordinary is implied (Jackson, 1948, para. The casual chatter and jokes of the villagers as they laugh “softly,” and the picturesque setting suggest at first that nothing immoral can happen (Jackson, 1948, para. The peaceful atmosphere of the gathering grows tense when the author gives a vague answer to what the winner of the lottery will receive. The weather being fine and the families smiling and talking lead the readers to think that it is a usual day, and the word “lottery” sounds hopeful.

The act of collecting stones is not accentuated but shown as a usual behavior when the village boys make “a great pile of stones in one corner of the square” (Jackson, 1948, para. At the beginning of the narration, the morning of June 27 is described as “clear and sunny” with the flowers “blossoming profusely” and the grass “richly green” (Jackson, 1948, para. The plot begins with a pleasant mood, on a beautiful summer day, and, through contrasts, which the author uses, it achieves its shocking end. The positive description in the first paragraphs of the story contrasts with the terrifying outcome in the conclusion.

The lottery 1948