The Lottery Is Full Of Irony

Ironic Lottery

By: Shannon Wong

"The lottery" is full of irony. Shirley Jackson most likely intended to use this amount of irony to make the over all story funny in its twisted theme. Each layer of irony used, prepared the reader to have the most dramatic reaction to the last and final blow that wrapped the whole story up.

I would say the most major and obvious type of irony used here was situational irony. Jackson knew that what most peoples' impression of the lottery is winning money or something good. She played on that and turned it into something completely opposite. Giving her story kick and uniqueness.

However, there was other more minor but essential situational ironies that lead up to the finale. One of these was Tessie Hutchinson. She had the most cheerful, laid-back attitude of whole crowd. Say things like "Clean forgot what day it was", cracking jokes such as " Wouldn't leave m'dishes in the sink now would you, Joe?" and in eagerness to see the results "craned her neck to see through the crowd". When in the end, she was the one who got picked. She was the character who would have more impact on the readers than any other because of the fact that she almost didn't come and her carefree attitude mad it so that the readers would either laugh or feel most sorry for her.

Other type of irony use was verbal irony. Old man Warner said " Pack of crazy foolsÐ'... Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves." In response to Mr. Adams informing him on that the North Village was talking of giving up the lottery. In suggestion that not having the lottery is barbaric when it is thought to be drawing lots to kill people is barbaric in most peoples' eyes. Before knowing the ending, this lead the readers to something that they