45 pages • 1-hour read
The Lottery
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Essay Topics
How does the author create a feeling of suspense or dread? Give examples.
The Lottery offended many readers on its first publication. Explain why the story was controversial. Do you agree? If yes, explain why. If not, defend the story with a rebuttal.
Little Davy Hutchinson receives a small handful of stones. Why? Given the purpose of the lottery, was this a proper thing to do? Defend your view.
Are small towns more or less likely than other places to succumb to group-think cruelty? Explain.
How does Jackson use foreshadowing throughout the story to suggest its brutal ending?
Jackson presents Tessie Hutchinson with no choice at the end of the story. Write an alternative ending for Tessie, and describe how a different ending might affect her life and her family.
Name a practice from the past that was considered normal but is shunned today. How does society determine what is acceptable, and how does this change over time?
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