View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is to draw for the Watson family?

2. Who is assigned to conduct the lottery?

3. What is Jackson's main theme in the story?

4. Who will participate in the ritual?

5. How many slips do the Hutchinson's take out of the box?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the heads of families instructed to do with their slips of paper?

2. What time of the year is the lottery being held?

3. What is Tessie doing as the rest of her family open their slips?

4. What happens after Mr. Zanini draw his paper?

5. Who participates in the subsequent activity?

6. Why is Mr. Summers always in charge of the lottery every year?

7. What is Jackson saying about children in this story?

8. What do the villagers begin to do at that point?

9. What does Tessie Hutchinson do when she realizes that Bill has the paper?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write two or three paragraphs in which you discuss whether Tessie Hutchinson had a premonition that she would draw the black spot. Decide if you think Shirley Jackson had that idea in mind as she wrote THE LOTTERY.

Essay Topic 2

Write a paper explaining how traditions may change over time. Traditions are usually handed down by example or word of mouth. How would this make it easy for change to happen?

Essay Topic 3

Write a paper comparing THE LOTTERY with humiliating and sometimes dangerous club initiations. Discuss such things as humane treatment, anxiety of the initiates, and the moral correctness of the proceedings.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 516 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample