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Jackson's Deceptive Lottery. A Rhetorical Analysis

Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" was initially very controversial when published in 1948 due to its shocking content. Readers found the story's revelation of a stoning murder during a village lottery to be outrageous and pointless. Jackson effectively misleads readers into a false sense of security about the nature of the village and the lottery through her descriptive opening and juxtaposition of the peaceful town. Only subtle hints alert readers that something may be amiss. The surprise ending demonstrates how Jackson deceived readers' assumptions about the lottery and reveals the capacity for violence in all people, even children, when influenced by societal pressures.

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95 views3 pages

Jackson's Deceptive Lottery. A Rhetorical Analysis

Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" was initially very controversial when published in 1948 due to its shocking content. Readers found the story's revelation of a stoning murder during a village lottery to be outrageous and pointless. Jackson effectively misleads readers into a false sense of security about the nature of the village and the lottery through her descriptive opening and juxtaposition of the peaceful town. Only subtle hints alert readers that something may be amiss. The surprise ending demonstrates how Jackson deceived readers' assumptions about the lottery and reveals the capacity for violence in all people, even children, when influenced by societal pressures.

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Nathan Lockwood

Rhetorical Analysis

Jacksons deceptive Lottery. A Rhetorical Analysis


When Shirley Jackson published The Lottery on June 26th 1948, it was not
initially well accepted to the public. Many readers who saw it in the New Yorker
Magazine found it to be Outrageous, gruesome, or just utterly pointless (The Lottery
Letters). Jackson often claimed that she feared to open mail months after publishing the
story because of all the hate mail she received. Even so, The Lottery still became a very
well known story and is highly regarded among some. Although The Lottery may have
made its way to fame though its controversial content, it was also incredibly well written.
In particular, Jacksons use of description and juxtaposition throughout the beginning
and ending of her story are used to deceive the reader about the nature of The Lottery,
and the seemingly innocent nature of the village and lull and trap readers in a sense of
security.
In the beginning of the story, Jackson gives a descriptive overview of the town
that immediately sends a sense of peace and normalcy. Jackson introduces the story
with words such as fresh warmth, and blossoming profusely, to make the scene
easy and colorful to the reader. She also introduces the people of the town in a specific
order that makes the town even less threatening. First, she describes the children.
They tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play.
and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands. (The
Lottery pg. 1). This description enforces the idea of normal even further, painting the
children of the town to be relatable and generic, like that of a normal town.
Towards the end of the story, this mood begins to change. The reader notices
little things that bring about an unsettling mood, further heightened by the juxtaposition
of the peaceful village introduced earlier. Jackson uses the villagers uneasy behaviors
to alert the reader that something may not be right, but her use of this is very subtle. A
sudden hush fell on the crowd as Mr. Summers cleared his throat and looked at the
list Most of them were quiet. Wetting their lips. Not looking around. (The Lottery pg.
5). Most readers dont acknowledge these hints or initially pass them by as unimportant.
The story completes with the stoning of Mrs. Hutchinson. This reveal completely
shocks the readers and demonstrates the strength of Jackson's misleading
juxtaposition. Her use of the word Lottery In particular especially strengthens the
surprise, as most readers associate the word Lottery with a prize, or the idea of
winning. Jackson used this description, juxtaposition and reveal to show that all people
have capability for violence. Even the children of the village aid in the murder of Mrs.
Hutchinson. One prominent explanation for this is that Jackson is trying to show that all
people can be influenced and guided into doing horrible things and that the pressures of
society can often mislead individuals into making the wrong decision. Without her

deceptive word play and false assumptions,the story would have come out as flat, and
the point Jackson was trying to make would have been much less prominent. The
Lottery is a powerful story with deep meanings woven throughout its themes. Although It
covers some darker content, the story displays many of the hidden characteristics of
mankind, including the gullibility of people and their need to fit in. As Jackson deceives
us about the intent of the lottery, she reveals deep truths about its participants.

Sources used
1.) The Lottery Pdf. Retrieved from,
https://sites.middlebury.edu/individualandthesociety/files/2010/09/jackson_
lottery.pdf June 20th 2016

2.) 11 facts about the Lottery. Erin Mccarthy. Retrieved from,


http://mentalfloss.com/article/57503/11-facts-about-shirley-jacksons-lottery
June 20th 2016
3.) The Lottery Letters. Ruth Franklin June 25th 2013. Retrieved
from, http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-lottery-letters June
20th 2016

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