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How Does Shirley Jackson Create Suspense In The Lottery

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Suspense is usually what creates a story. It allows the reader’s mind to wander. It drags them in wanting to read more. In the short story, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, suspense is what makes the story so intriguing. Although, it allows one to wonder what actually could have happened and all of the subtle horrors that are hidden within the story. There are many tragic turns that story possibly could have taken since everything was at jeopardy. All of the character’s lives were at risk. Once one sees these subtle horrors, “The Lottery” becomes so much more darker than it ever was before. The story centers around something so horrifying in itself-- a lottery of death. The town gathers each June to pull papers to see who is the unlucky person to be selected is. Jackson details the townspeople preparing for the event, and well, the actual event. Although, why is the lottery even happening? Why do these people believe it is ordinary to just kill off one of their own in a type of Russian roulette? Old Man Warner, an older man almost in charge of the lottery, noted that there “used to be a saying about ‘Lottery in June, corn be heavy …show more content…

Although Tessie was the one so unfortunate to open it up, it could have been likely that one of her children received it. It could have been all of the townspeople stoning a small child just to keep the tradition. When she sees her fate in that paper, Tessie begins to says: “There's Don and Eva. Make them take their chance!”, displaying how the lottery causes family members to turn on one another. But, what is most significant is that “someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles” to take part in stoning his own mother. This drawing is clearly inhumane. It causes neighbor to turn on neighbor, and even son to turn on mother, just to keep the tradition

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