“The Lottery”

Read “The Lottery” and respond to each question in brief essay form, approximately 4 to 6 lines. Be sure to
use direct evidence from the short story for each question to support your information.
Read Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.”
Write down your immediate reaction and opinion to the story.
Briefly answer the following questions: What are some themes that appear in the story. Some typical ones are
evil disguised as good, prejudice and hypocrisy, minds slipping the bonds of reality etc.
Why are the townspeople holding the lottery? Why don’t they stop?
What are some of the sacrifice rituals of other cultures, and what moral judgments do we make on those
cultures.
What type of atmosphere does Jackson create at first, and how does that change?
How does “The Lottery” prevent the breakdown of society in this community?
Respond to the roles of the men and women, how the children act, and what the social and business goals are
for each facet of this society.
Sacrifice rituals operate on the principle of “scapegoating”. After defining the term, describe how the process of
“The Lottery” uses the scapegoat and tell what end is desired. Are there any examples in our current society of
using scapegoats?