"The Lottery"
How do the townspeople justify continuing the lottery tradition every year?
Describe the situational irony in red cards being used in a town called Merry Valley.
People can legally kill one another in a town named for its "merriness" (fear of death seems not so merry).
Describe why healthy people begin receiving organ transplants after Patient D's successful surgery.
The government believes that the surgery will eliminate poverty because people will eat garbage instead of food. It also becomes trendy to eat garbage.
Describe how Omelas at first appears "utopian."
People are happy in the festival, there are no dictators, intellectualism is valued, and people are described as being generally free from hunger/suffering.
How is the dark conclusion of the story foreshadowed?
The children gather stones in the town square.
The lottery is organized by Mr. Graves and Mr. Summers.
Tessie arrives late to the lottery.
How does Linda initially feel about Sarah? How do those feelings change later in the story?
Linda is initially grateful for Sarah's friendship/ the kindnesses that Sarah shows her, but feels betrayed when she learns that Sarah has been two-faced and has had an affair with her late husband (Sarah only acts like a friend because she knows Linda has a red card).
Describe what/ who goes missing in the city and why this is significant.
Why might some people walk away from Omelas?
They are upset about the child suffering in the locked room under the city.
What is situational irony, and how is the device used in Jackson's story?
Situational irony is when the opposite of what we expect to happen, happens.
We expect the townspeople to win something positive (like money) through the lottery, but instead, the "winner" is stoned to death.
How does the red card manual serve as propaganda in the story? Provide specific evidence.
The manual describes using a red card as a "civic duty" and argues that it is "easy" to kill someone.
Describe how someone is marked after the surgery, and why this becomes problematic later in the story.
Everyone who receives the surgery has a scar on their neck, which is used as an identifying feature by the government when people are rounded up into internment camps.
Explain the juxtaposition (extreme contrast) between two settings described in the city.
The festival is described as joyous, while the suffering of the child in the locked room is horrific. This juxtaposition highlights how extreme the suffering is.
Describe the ending of the story, considering the role of children. How does pathos apply?
Tessie's young child must participate in stoning his mother to death, leaving readers to feel horrified by this society's tradition and willingness to involve children in the violence.
Describe the twist ending of "Red Card."
Linda has a second red card, which we can infer she will use on Sarah after finding out about the affair.
What happens to the press/newspapers, and how does this connect to a dystopia?
The press cannot report on people being rounded up into internment camps. This demonstrates a restriction of free thought/free press.
Why do people go along with the abuse of the child in the locked room?
They believe that the child has to suffer for the city to continue to be wonderful for everyone else.
While some people believe the lottery is inhumane and should end, they all still conform by participating in the stoning of Tessie. Additionally, Tessie only speaks out against the tradition when her family is selected (and she in particular is picked to be stoned to death).
Describe Linda as a character, and how she conforms to the expectations of her society.
Linda uses two red cards-- while she is reluctant to use the first and tells people about her card, she is secretive about her second card. Her decision to murder again demonstrates her willingness to conform to her society.
How is the government complicit in the tragedy that occurs in the society?
The new technology is not fully researched before it's released to the public, and the government does not provide sufficient supplies to the patients placed in camps (leading to cannibalism).
Despite the positive conditions described during the festival, name three ways that Omelas is dystopian.
1. The child does not have the choice to leave.
2. Citizens value the wellbeing of the majority (over the wellbeing of the minority).
3. The child is monitored to ensure continued suffering.
4. Citizens believe the propaganda that the child has to suffer for the good of the many.
5. The citizens all allow the suffering of the child to continue (those who disagree, leave).