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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Tessie doing in the center of the circle of her friends, neighbors, and family?

2. In a large village, how long might the lottery last?

3. When is the lottery held each year?

4. What does Tessie's paper mean?

5. What serious formality occurs before the lottery begins?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jackson draw the reader into the spirit of the lottery?

2. Why is the lottery held later in the morning in this particular village?

3. Have there ever been deviations from tradition in the past? What are they?

4. Describe the men as they assemble for the lottery.

5. After Mrs. Dunbar has spoken up, what does Mr. Summers ask about the Watsons?

6. Where are the women and what are they doing?

7. Who do they look for before continuing with the lottery?

8. How does the Martin family make the scene appear like a gathering of everyday families?

9. At what point in the story does Jackson raise the question of what's going on with her readers?

10. Whose name was the first to be called up for the lottery?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Expand on the character of Mr. Summers in THE LOTTERY. Describe how you imagine his business dealings in detail and his political control over the village.

Essay Topic 2

Write a paper on surprise endings to short stories that are humorous instead of macabre. [If you do not know one, read O'Henry's THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF for this assignment.]

Essay Topic 3

Write a paper where the towns people hold a meeting to decide if they will do away with the lottery. Use the characters from Shirley Jackson's story. Who, besides Old man Warner, will oppose the idea of doing away with it?

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