The Lottery
by Shirley Jackson
(Here is a .rtf copy of
the story.)
Vocabulary. Copy each of the bold-faced words into your
notebook. Guess the definition, and POS based on the context. See the model
below.
1) boisterous ( POS ): ____(real defn. goes here)____
guess:
2) perfunctory ( ):_______________
guess:
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The party was so boisterous, the neighbors
called the police.
-
The teacher taught in such a perfunctory way
that you could tell he was sick of his job.
-
You need a lot of paraphernalia for art class.
-
After he cut his finger, it bled profusely.
-
After I told my boy he couldn't have candy before dinner,
he got very petulant, and refused to eat his pasta.
"In (Nazi) Germany, they first came for the communists
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for
the Jews and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for
the Catholics. I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they
came for me and there was no one left to speak up."
--Rev. Martin Niemöller (concentration camp survivor)
Before and During Questions.What is the connotation for
you of the word lottery?
-
Have you ever participated in something with a group that
you would never do if you were alone? Why? Why do people in groups act
differently than they do alone?
-
What's the setting? Do you get a feel for the when?
-
Predict what the winner gets.
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What is a scapegoat?
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What are people's reactions like when they realize they aren't
chosen?
After Questions
-
What might be the purpose of this Lottery? How do you think
it started?
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Why do people continue to participate?
-
Are these people "evil"?
-
How could the lottery be stopped?
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What is the story "about"? What's the author's point about
society?
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How does the author make a seemingly impossible incident
feel so real and inevitable?
-
Compare this story with "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street."
What message do they have in common?
Quiz Questions
-
(quote) Mrs. Jackson actually foreshadows the ending very
early in the story. What is our first clue?
-
How do they decide in what order to draw for the lottery?
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The are actually two rounds to the lottery. Explain.
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What is on the slip of paper Tessie Hutchinson draws that
signifies she is the "winner"?
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(quote) In the last paragraph, there is an especially horrifying
line that shows just how deeply the lottery has warped this village. Quote
it.
-
How could the villagers argue that Tessie was wrong when
she says at the end, "It isn't fair"?
-
What ancient cultural practice is similar to the lottery?
-
(bonus for extra credit +2) Old Man Warner actually says
something that shows the original purpose of the lottery. Quote him.