Examples Of Suspense In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

“The Lottery” is a suspenseful but horrific short story by Shirley Jackson. Jackson masterfully crafts her spiral of terror she calls a short story using mystery to invoke suspense. Suspense can be found throughout the story, but during some parts of the story, such as in the beginning few paragraphs, routine activities and a nonchalant, casual atmosphere lull the reader into a misleading sense of serenity. However, as the story progresses, the mood of the story grows darker and darker until “The Lottery” ends in a ghastly, shocking resolution. To begin, the story starts with a peaceful, mundane setting: “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green…The children… broke into boisterous play and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands.” At first glance, this short story seems to be portraying a small, traditional town where the children are outside playing and the weather is beautiful and perfect for a summer day outside. But, this ordinary day is only a façade that hides a deeper, more sinister event.

Though some sentences, with their true meanings unclear, may raise questions in the reader, once one continues to read Jackson’s mesmerizing story, details become disturbingly clear. For instance, the author, Shirley Jackson, writes, “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones… [and] eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square…” After reading this excerpt, the readers may have questions such as “Why does Bobby have stones?” “Is this some new fad?” and “What important clue does ‘selecting the smoothest and roundest stones’ give the