The Lottery: Foreshadowing

Every June twenty-seventh the villagers in the small town gather in the square for the annual "lottery". The children usually arrive first. They play and gather stones in preparation for the drawing. The husbands and fathers are the next to gather. They tell jokes, but "they smiled rather than laughed." The men do not seem to be as excited as the children are. When finally the women arrive, the families form into their respective groups …

…is a very barbaric practice. Though this is sadistic tale and a bit hard to defend its practices, I judge that it is extremely well written and intrigues the reader to continue on to the end. Shirley Jackson does such a marvelous job with foreshadowing, that the outcome is revealed early in the story. Until the very end though, the reader continues to have hope that Mrs. Hutchinson is going to win the washer-dryer combo.