The Lottery Essay

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As I began to read Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” I found myself intrigued, being drawn in by the descriptions and wanting to know what would happen next with every word that I read. It felt vaguely reminiscent of a Stephen King short story. Yet, towards the middle I began to experience a slight unsettling confusion. Only to be confronted with feelings of surprised disgust and dissatisfaction at the end.
The seemingly nonchalance of the townspeople as they gathered in the square combined with the title, “The Lottery,” began the story under the impression that something worth celebrating would be happening. There appeared to be no ill will towards anyone, even as the children played amongst themselves. The day even seemed pleasant and I was intrigued to read further and discover what was happening. With the mentioning of little boys collecting smooth stones, I envisioned an afternoon spent skipping stones across the water. Nothing seemed amiss in this small community as adults gathered to discuss work and taxes like any other town. I was intrigued with the first few paragraphs, wanting to know what this “lottery” was all about.
Even so, that intrigue that had me racing from one word to the next had me slowly finding myself in a haze of confusion. What had happened to the day I had begun reading about? What was it that was filling me with unease for what started off as a seemingly normal town? I believe for me it began to get questionable around the time that the box was introduced into the story line. It seemed odd so much emphasis was being placed on a box. It became even more so once people hesitated to help with the box. The story took a turn from a pleasant day to one that was becoming quite bizarre. The “lottery” no

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