Plot Diagram
Who is the protagonist of the story?
Tessie Hutchinson
What is the mood at the start of the story?
Kind-hearted and friendly
When Old Man Warner hears that some places have dropped the lottery, he...
expresses strong disapproval
Definition: profusely
to a great degree or in large amounts
What does the black dot symbolize?
death
What is the inciting incident?
Tessie arrives to the lottery late.
What is the date of the lottery?
June 27th
Why does the town have a lottery?
It is thought to bring good harvest.
Definition: Boisterous
noisy, energetic, or wild
In the second paragraph of the story, the children are gathering stones for what seems to be a game. At the end of the story, we learn WHY they were gathering stones. What literary device does this this exemplify?
Foreshadowing
What is the climax of the story?
Tessie "wins" the lottery.
Who is the town's lottery official?
Mr. Summers
Does Tessie's family participate in the stoning?
What type of part of speech: Reprimand
Noun
The title of the story, "The Lottery," is an example of which literary device?
Irony
What is the conflict of the story?
Man vs. Society
Who draws for the household?
The man of the household.
What is the history of the lottery?
It is a tradition that is thought to bring good harvest.
What type of part of speech: Jovial
adjective
Give an example of foreshadowing as seen in the story?
Students answers will vary.
What is the theme of the story?
Even if something is cruel, people have the tendency to follow the crowd and participate
How does the town respond to Tessie's lateness?
pleasantly
Tessie tries to convince the townspeople that....
her husband wasn't given a fair chance.
Definition: Perfunctory
carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection.
What does the ballot box symbolize?
death