2-The+Lottery

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson

=Character Tracker - Andreas=


 * Illogical** is what I use to describe Old Man Warner in the story. He has participated in 77 lotteries and believes that that is the only way to keep order in society is to have the lottery. When told that in a northern village they are thinking of giving up the lottery, he snorts and says they will want to go back to living in caves and not working. This demonstrates his illogical manner in which he believes stoning people to death randomly will bring order.


 * Unlucky** is what I use to describe Tessie Hutchinson, because she is one of 300 people to be chosen to be stoned to death. Her family is chosen among many in the first round, and in the second, she is chosen among five other relatives. She is truly unlucky.


 * Powerful** is what I use to describe Mr. Summers, because he is given an enormous amount of power to conduct the lottery. No one questions him or his authority, despite the fact that he writes the slips of paper that will condemn someone to their death.


 * Rebellious** is what I use to describe Tessie Hutchinson, because she is the only one who questions the practice of the lottery. Whether this would have happened had she not been picked is unsure, but no one else seems to hear her cries when her family is selected, when she is selected, and as she is killed. Even her husband shushes her, thus indicating that everyone else has accepted this ritual.


 * Mysterious** is what I use to describe Mr. Graves. While Mr. Summers may be conducting the ritual, he still has to be inducted by the mystifying Mr. Graves. Other than his job as postmaster, we don't know anything about Mr. Graves, even though he has the power to swear in the conductor of the ceremony. His name also obviously was chosen for a reason, and thus adds to the mystery surrounding Mr. Graves.

QUESTIONS: 1. What happens to the person selected during the lottery? 2. Explain the process of the lottery. 3. Why do you think the lottery started in the first place?