The Lottery

In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," she uses the element of

surprise. The way the story ends is unlike anything anyone

could predict. There are however several alternative ways

the story could have ended. The following is one possible

alternative ending to "The Lottery".

Everyone was prepared. Thirty minutes prior to the drawing,

the villagers started collecting the best and largest stones

they possibly could. Mrs. Dunbar picked up a handful of

pebbles and stuffed them in her pocket, she than chose a

stone so huge she had to pick it up with both hands and it

made it difficult for her to walk. Mrs. Delacroix collected

some small pebbles and made it just in time.

Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of

paper out of her hand. It had a black spot on it, the black

spot Mr. Summers had made the night before with the heavy

pencil in the coal-company office. Bill Hutchinson held it up

and there was a stir in the crowd.

"All right, folks," Mr. Summers said. "Let's finish quickly."

Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the

original black box, they still remembered to use stones. The

pile of stones the boys had made earlier was ready; there

were stones on the ground that the villagers had prepared

earlier along with blowing scraps of paper that hod come out

of the box. Mrs. Delacroix picked up the huge stone she

selected earlier and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. "Come on," she

said.