The Lottery of Death and Irony Many speak of the lottery of life, holding it accountable for its spirals and turns, misfortunes and surprises. However, a small, secluded town holds a very different lottery- the lottery of death. Shirley Jackson wrote The Lottery with irony, or an unexpected twist, to create a unique ending to an otherwise bland story. Although there are several types of irony, Jackson used situational irony, when what happens is different than what is expected by the audience, to its full extent. She created Tessie Hutchinson, a young woman and mother of two, to demonstrate how to properly use irony in order to shock readers. When Tessie won the lottery, one living in the modern age would expect a positive, glowing reaction