“The Lotter

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Writing Prompt (10 points)

What is “the lottery?” Why do you think writers imagine and write about

terrible societies?

“The Lottery” Plot, Setting, Conflict Review

Plot Exposition

Rising Action

Climax Falling Action

Resolution

Conflict(s)

Setting

Why so creepy? Because it’s a dystopia!

Definition: A dystopia is the idea of a society, usually in the imagined future, characterized by: negative, anti-utopian (ideal society) elements political, environmental, religious, psychological,

technological, and/or social issues

Dystopian societies raise attention to issues that may become present in the future

Why are DYSTOPIAS important?

Dystopias can be cautionary tales, in which readers can see dangers in modern trends taken to extremes (play the “what if?” game)

They warn us of problems in our current cultures

Discuss notion of good versus evil, in ourselves and in the world around us

Dystopia Examples The Giver

The Hunger Games trilogy Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 1984 by George Orwell Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

How is “The Lottery” a dystopia?

How is “The Lottery” a dystopia?

Society is designed to treat people equally– no “unfair advantages” (taken to an extreme, though, with lottery)

Discusses social issues– “mob mentality” and traditions

Lack of emotional capacity; ignorance/ inability to think independently

WHAT IS ESSENTIAL TO HUMANITY IS PROHIBITED.

Theme The central message, topic, or point

an author is trying to convey in a work. The theme is usually hinted at, rather

than directly explained to the reader. Example– In The Lion King, a theme might be courage. A

thematic statement might be that ultimately courage enables good to defeat evil, as seen in Simba’s courageous defeat of Scar to be the rightful (and good) ruler that Scar was not.

What is a possible theme of “The Lottery?”

Foreshadowing Watch me!

Definition: hinting to the reader about what is to come without purposefully spoiling the conclusion

Why Important? Foreshadowing builds SUSPENSE by increasing the reader’s anticipation of what will happen next.

Foreshadowing examples

1. Weather…i.e. Storm clouds forthcoming danger

2. Phrases about the future (i.e. “Put off your trip until morning and stay here tonight” might foreshadow a dangerous event in the future when the person doesn’t stay)

3. Character dialogue—i.e. Simba asks his father, Mufasa, “We’ll always be together, right?” His father dies in the next few minutes of the movie. Other example: Bambi’s mother warns him of the dangers of the forest, including Man with his gun. She dies soon after, having been shot by Man.

4. Objects/events– i.e. In “The Scarlet Ibis,” when the bird dies, the death foreshadows Doodle’s death because they are similar in their weakness.

Foreshadowing in “The Lottery” 1.

2.

3.

Foreshadowing in “The Lottery”

1. Children put stones in pockets/ make piles of stones in town square why?

2. Tessie is late to the lottery, which is how she is set apart as a character from the others will she be important?

3. Watson boy has to draw for himself and his mother—where is father?

Suspense

Definition: When a work (story, novel, poem, play, film, etc.) makes the reader uncertain/anxious about the outcome of the events

Why Important? Suspense draws the reader’s attention in more deeply to the story

Suspense Examples1. A character is hanging from a ledge, has to jump across a wide space, etc. WILL (S)HE SURVIVE?

2. In Toy Story 3, Woody and friends must escape from nearly certain “death” in the garbage incinerator…Stressful!

3. In The Lion King, Simba is running to escape a stampede…will he make it out safely?

Suspense in “the Lottery”What makes the story suspenseful?

Suspense in “the Lottery”

Author doesn’t reveal what lottery is until later, when stone hits Tessie…

foreshadowing that it is bad, but the truth is hidden until the end.

“The Lottery” Discussion What's up with the children of the village –

specifically the boys – being the first to stockpile stones? What, if anything, is Jackson trying to suggest about children?

Who supports the lottery? Why? Who might want to stop it?

Do you agree with Mrs. Hutchinson – is the lottery unfair? How or how not?