This story is set in a small American town that, for as long as anyone can remember, has held a lottery in which all the town's families take part. For most of the story, we don't know the purpose of the lottery, and so we become more and more curious to find out what it's all about. Everyone in the town seems to get it, but we're left scratching our heads.
Well, as the story draws to a close, and the lottery finds a "winner," we find out the shocking truth. Let's just say that, as far as prizes go, we're not talking about a stuffed animal and a box of candy here.
How does the opening paragraph shape our expectations regarding this story? And to what extent does the narrative meet or challenge these expectations?
The characters in this story all know the true nature of the lottery, but the reader is kept mostly in the dark until the end. Why has Jackson chosen this approach, and how does it affect your reading? What would the story be like if we were equally clued in?