Irony in "the Lottery"

Irony in "The Lottery"

In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" irony is an underlying theme used throughout the story. The setting is introduced as a "clear and sunny" day, but ends with the brutal death of a housewife (715). The two people who essentially run the town, Mr. Graves and Mr. Summers, also have ironic names. In addition, the characters and the narrator make ironic statements throughout the story.

The plot as a whole in "The Lottery" is filled with ironic twists. The whole idea of a lottery is to win something, and the reader is led to believe that the winner will receive some prize, when in actuality they will be stoned to death by the rest of the villagers. The villagers act very nonchalant upon arriving at the lottery; which makes it seem as if it is just another uneventful day in a small town. Considering the seriousness of the consequences of the lottery, the villagers do not make a big deal about it. Under the same note it is ironic that many of the original traditions of the lottery, such as the recital and the salute, had long been forgotten. All that the villagers seemed to remember was the ruthless killing of a random person. It also seems strange that they let the equipment for the lottery, the black box, get into such a poor condition.

The two people who run, and the lottery, Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves. Mr. Graves is the postmaster for the town and is the person who swears Mr. Summers in as the lottery official. His name brings a grim reality to the lottery once the reader finds out what the winner receives. On the other hand, Mr. Summers has a delightful name, which also matches his description as "a round-faced, jovial man" (715). Mr. Summers is the mayor of the town and also runs the most successful business--the coal company. When one thinks of summer one generally thinks of pleasantness and happiness. His name is ironic because his job is essentially in contrast to these thoughts. He is in charge of the random killing of a villager, which hardly seems pleasant.

As the plot progress some of the characters make ironic statements. On page 717 there is a passage about the Watson boy drawing for him and his mother, which can be interpreted as his father was the one who was killed last year. One voice from the crowd says "Good fellow, Jack" and another says "Glad to see your