117 The Lottery Essay Examples & Topics

Sometimes, checking samples can help students not only understand how to complete a task but to get an idea for their paper. That’s the case with The Lottery. Writing prompts and essay examples are vital when analyzing this short story by Shirley Jackson.

To write an A+ paper, check our guide below. Our team of experts has collected great The Lottery essay examples, topics, and tips for you to succeed.

The Lottery Essay Introduction

For you writing you can literally choose any topic. The novel is filled with a lot of contrasts that shape your mood and the perception of the story. You can choose to write The Lottery essay on symbolism and interpret symbols in as many ways as you want or find extraordinary ideas.

Before you start working on the introduction, read the book a few times. Try using techniques of active reading to boost your comprehension. Here are some The Lottery essay questions to keep in mind while reading:

• What are the symbols in the story and why Jackson uses them?
• What do the critics say about The Lottery? Do you agree with them?
• Why do you think Jackson received angry letters after the novel was published?

The next step is to develop your thesis statement that will introduce your paper content to your reader. Make it clear and understandable.

The Lottery Essay Body

The next step in essay writing is mastering the body of the paper. Here you must provide your ideas and arguments to support main issue of an essay. Remember a simple rule: one argument – one paragraph. Don’t make your paper look like a stream of consciousness.

The Lottery Essay Conclusion

The conclusion is one of the most important parts of every essay. Here you must summarize the body content and restate thesis statement. The essential tip you should always keep in mind: don’t add any new ideas, arguments, or points in the conclusion.

After you finish the writing, you should proofread the essay to be sure that there are no mistakes or typos that can decrease overall mark.

The Lottery Essay Questions

If you need some examples of The Lottery essay topics, check our ideas below:

• Scapegoat. Explore if Tessie can be considered as a scapegoat? Share your opinion in the essay.
• Hypocrisy in The Lottery. Investigate what hypocrisy is. Are the novel’s characters hypocritical? What makes them to turn on their friends because of a lottery? Who enjoys the lottery the most and why?
• Mob psychology and society. Why do people act cruelly when they are a part of a large social group or in the crowd? How does the society’s mood impact individuals?
• Social roles in the society. How do traditional gender social roles impact on people’s behavior? Is there a connection between the lottery and these roles?
• Class differences in The Lottery. Explore if there’s any class difference in the village and how it influences the plot.
• The role of traditions. Think why traditions and customs play an important role in human’s life. Prove your point of view using quotes from the novel. Do you have any family traditions?
• Crimes against women. Analyze how the novel reflects violence against women in a society. Find some parallelisms from the modern lives. Explore why victim behavior causes violence.

Are you still dissatisfied with your essay because it does not make enough of an impression? Try looking at our The Lottery essay titles!

🏆 Best The Lottery Essay Prompts & Examples

1. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”: Elements of the Story
   The setting of “The Lottery” is synonymous with the setting in most small towns of the 1930s. The plot of “The Lottery” revolves around a ritual known as the lottery that is performed in villages […]
2. The Lottery Literary Analysis – Summary & Analytical Essay
   This paper presents the tools of characterization and the setting of the short story “The Lottery” One of the most outstanding tools of characterization in this short-story is actions.
3. Tessie Hutchinson’s Character From “The Lottery” Analysis
   She did not show her intentions to prevent the lottery’s conduction but tried to avoid the ritual of stoning to death.
4. Marxist Criticism on The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay
   Moreover, the location of the lottery at the town square between two buildings- the post office and the bank represents the political and economic power of the government and those in power such as Mr. […]
5. Annotated Bibliography on the “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
   Ismael and Ali examine the author’s humane message of the rights of people to live in peace from the perspective of the Holocaust.
6. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
   The broad aftermath and the negative responses of the readers who did not see the line between fiction and reality prove that the plot of the short story The Lottery by Jackson reflects the real […]
7. Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery Short Story vs. Film
   The precedence of preparation events before the ritual is the same in the film and the text. The major difference between the text version and the adapted film is the nature of the presented.
8. “The Lottery” by Chris Abani
   A 10 year-old child, completely happy with the life, walks out of the house with the aunt to go to the store. Moreover, one of the actions of making a sacrifice was to spit on […]
9. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
   The author wanted to show that the strength of the crowd, coupled with a strong sense of habit and tradition, so much clouded the mind that only the victim, left alone against the entire crowd, […]
10. The Depiction of Cultural Conformity and Moral Values in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
    Although written more than half a century ago, the short-story resonates with readers by discussing themes pertinent to a lot of cultures, even at the contemporary stage of development.”The Lottery” is a reading that provides […]
11. Symbolism in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
    The characters in the story, the objects, and the figures used make up the universe of the literary work. This is achieved through the use of symbols conveying the writer’s idea and revealing the essence […]
12. Characters’ Relationship in ”The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
    While Tessie is a free-spirited woman, the Old Man is superstitious and full of fears of the unknown. However, Tessie; driven by her free spirit, gathers the courage to question the results of the lottery […]
13. Mob Mentality in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
    The plot of the Lottery begins on the fateful day of June 27th where the young village boys are actively collecting stones and pilling them “Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix-The villagers pronounced his […]
14. “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
    The ritual brings about all the members of the community together who participate in the ritual and the winner gets the prize of death.
15. Literary Analysis of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
    There are numerous themes in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, but the most evident are the ideas of violence, devotion to traditions, and fear to change something due to the concurrence of circumstances.
16. The Veldt and “The Lottery”: Insights and Value
    Both The Veldt and The Lottery are stories that dive deep into the topic of human nature, traditionalism vs.modernization, and the notion of family that can have various meanings and aspects.
17. Suspense Narrative in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
    Evidently, the annual lottery conducted by the village is not a typical lottery in the sense that, the person running the lottery is also a participant.Mr.
18. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson: A Literary Analysis
    At the end of the story, it is revealed that the point of the lottery is to select a victim among the community members and collectively stone her to death.
19. Criticism of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
    In the story, Jackson and Brody show that the people have long forgotten the reason they keep the ceremonial practice and they have a poor understanding of the details of the ritual.
20. “The Lottery”: Plot, Main Idea, and Writing Style
    In order to offer the reader a better comprehension of the story, the environment is described in great detail. The power to choose the true meaning of the story is what actually distinguishes it.
21. Сompare and Сontrast: The Lottery and The Rocking-Horse Winner
    The tone of the work is significant in its terms as well because it creates the fleur of seriousness, light-mindedness, sadness or cheerfulness, introducing the reader to the world of the literary work, and even […]
22. The Books “The Metamorphosis” by Kafka and “The Lottery” by Jackson
    In essence, The Lottery and The Metamorphosis are expository on misfortune as triggering alienation and unsettling the harmony of life to which one’s community and family weaken in their duty of care and protection and […]

✍️ The Lottery Essay Topics for College

1. Old Traditions in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
   Evidence of this can be seen in the way in which the townspeople seemingly forgot the exact origins of the lottery, what it was for, and why they had to do it in the first […]
2. Conformity in “The Lottery” by S. Jackson
   It is also necessary to note that the tradition of a lottery is highly overestimated by the people in the village, as it is described by Jackson in the story.
3. Shirley Jackson’s Short Story “The Lottery”
   Although there does not seem to be much of the original materials, practices or meaning of the lottery available to the reader, the degree to which people have become slaves to tradition is emphasized in […]
4. “The Lottery” a Short Story by Shirley Jackson
   When going over the reactions of the various individuals who wrote to the New Yorker regarding the story, their main reasoning for sending letters to the publication was simply due to the relative “strangeness” of […]
5. Literary Analysis of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery
   The purpose of a lottery is to pick a winner. The author also convinces the readers that the lottery is an important part of the lives of the villagers.
6. A Comparison of The Lottery and the Destructors Short Stories
   In developing the plot of the story, the author foreshadows the story’s ending by talking about the black box and the black dot at the end of the story, which symbolized the person to be […]
7. Tradition in “The Hunger Games” Film and Jackson’s “The Lottery”
   The settings in both narratives are similar in many ways the village in “The Lottery” and District 12’s small town in “The Hunger Games”.
8. Forget Tradition: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
   There is a high chance that Old Man Warner is not concerned about the lottery itself as he is worried about preserving the old traditions. Once the lottery is forgotten, the habitual way of life […]
9. The Lottery by Jackson, Shirley: Idyllic Place With Beautiful Nature
   The man of the household is the one picking the piece of paper that ultimately becomes a death sentence for one member of the family.
10. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson: Short Story Analysis
    While there were some attempts by the author to divert the attention from the overall nervousness, such as the depiction of the casual conversations among the gathering crowd, the atmosphere was depressing.
11. Traditions in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
    In her short story “The Lottery,” Jackson explores the problems of traditions and shows people’s attachment to the established order in a negative light.
12. Literature as a Protest: The Lottery and The Crucible
    Thus, in the case of “the lottery” it can be seen that it is a form of protest against the practice of blindly following “tradition” without taking into consideration the full logic of the actions […]
13. Conformity and Rebellion in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
    In spite of the fact that the main prize of the lottery is death, the citizens continue believing in the power of the order and the necessity to organize the same event annually.
14. Literature Studies of “The Destructor” and “The Lottery”
    It is the assumption of this paper that in both stories, the lack of detail concerning the reason why Trevor wanted to destroy the house of Mr.
15. Literary Analysis on “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson Using Foreshadowing
    In summary, it can be deduced that a game of chance such as lottery creates uncertainty and anxiety to the participants.
16. The Lottery and The Ambitious Guest
    In this paper, I will aim to explore the legitimacy of an earlier suggestion in regards to how the deployment of a literary irony had helped Shirley Jackson and Nathaniel Hawthorne to emphasize the philosophic […]
17. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson: A Short Masterpiece
    The day was intentionally selected by the author on the 27th of the sixth month. Variances in the events signified a vital character in the Lottery story.
18. Change Manifestation in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
    One good example of a character that manifested change in the face of danger is the character that can be found in Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. It was the most important event in the calendar […]
19. “The Lottery” and “Cleveland and It Hurts”
    For instance, the piling of the stones by the children at the beginning of the story was a foreshadowing of the stoning which was to take place at the end of the story.

📌 Most Interesting The Lottery Topics to Write about

1. The Instances of Dehumanization in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
2. Comparison of “The Most Dangerous Game” and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
3. The Immoral Acts in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
4. The Cruel Tradition of Stoning of a Villager in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
5. The Traditions Exhibited in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
6. Trauma of Execution Yields Social Conformity: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
7. The Coexistence of Evil and Charm in a Society Portrayed in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
8. Winning Is a Nightmare in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
9. Thematic Setting of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
10. The Ritual That Death Is the Only Way the Village Can Survive Economically in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
11. The Dystopian Society in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
12. Violence in Kaplan’s “Doe Season” and Jackson’s “The Lottery”
13. The Significance of Tradition in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
14. The Symbolism of the Black Box in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
15. The Unalterable Human Condition Exposed in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
16. Traditionalism in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
17. Similarities Between Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”
18. The True Meaning That Hidden in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
19. The Negative Effects of Tradition in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
20. The Role of Tradition in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
21. The Violation of Human Rights by Cultural Practices in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

👍 Creative The Lottery Essay Topics

1. Slavery and Inhumanity in “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
2. The Conflicts Between Male Authority and Female Resistance in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
3. The Unfair Tradition of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
4. Traditions in “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
5. The Meaning of Evil in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
6. The Use of Irony and Foreshadowing in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
7. The Forgotten Traditional Rituals in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
8. The Inhumanity of the Society and the Foreshadowing in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
9. The Desensitization of Society in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
10. The Ways Humans Mistreat Other Humans in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Mask of Red Death” and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
11. The Concept of Sacrifice in Ursula Leguin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
12. Vicious Stoning in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
13. The Connection of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson With Modern Day World and Other Works of Art
14. The Reasons Why People Stand Up for Justice in “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
15. The False Assumptions of a Lottery in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
16. The Portrayal of How Tradition Is Transferred in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”
17. The Theme of Society and Class in “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
18. Use of Symbols in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
19. The Importance of Tradition in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
20. The Subtle Foreshadowing of Tragedy in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
21. The Differences Between “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin
22. The Possible Entertainment Purpose Behind “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

❓ The Lottery Essay Questions

1. How Do the Authors Bring Out the Theme of Class and Society in Anton Chekhov’s “The Bet” and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”?
2. How Does Shirley Jackson Build Up Suspense in “The Lottery”?
3. How Are Gender Roles Represented in “The Lottery”?
4. What Is the Significance of Homes in Jackson’s “The Lottery”?
5. How Does “The Lottery” Explore the Theme of Tradition and Its Dangers?
6. What Is the Significance of the James Harris Character, Who Recurs Throughout “The Lottery” and Other Stories?
7. How Does Shirley Jackson Use Imagery in “The Lottery”?
8. How Are the Dangers of Suburban Conformity Manifested in “The Lottery”?
9. How Do Symbols Enhance Themes in “The Lottery”?
10. Why Are Familial Relationships Significant to Protagonists in Jackson’s “The Lottery”?
11. How Much Do Traditions Affect Our Lives in the Example of “The Lottery”?
12. What Is the Connection of the Events in “The Lottery” to History When the Characters Sacrifice Themselves for the Community’s Greater Well-Being?
13. How Do Loneliness, Boredom, and Discontentment Make Characters in “The Lottery” More Susceptible to Mental Illness?
14. What Would Change the Village’s Routine Toward Sacrificing Tradition in “The Lottery”?
15. What Does “The Lottery” Symbolize?
16. How Does Jackson Blur the Reader’s Perception of Reality and Fantasy in “The Lottery”?
17. Why Do the Villagers From “The Lottery” Continue to Play the Lottery?
18. How Might Shirley Jackson’s Setting and Descriptions in “The Lottery” Evoke Such Shock and Horror From Readers?
19. What Is the Central Message of “The Lottery”?
20. Which Characteristics Should a Person Have to Stop the Inhuman Tradition of Lottery in the Cognominal Short Story by Shirley Jackson?
21. How Do Some Protagonists Perceive the Differences Between Country Life and City Life in “The Lottery”?
22. Why Do Communities From “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson Honor the Traditions of Violent Rituals?
23. How Does the Author Create a Feeling of Suspense or Dread in “The Lottery”?
24. Does “The Lottery” Reveal Such a Moral Problem as Feminism?
25. How Does the First Impression of Tessie Help to Establish Her Character in “The Lottery”?
26. Is “The Lottery” More Powerful for the Reader’s Mind Than “The Monkey’s Paw”?
27. How Do the Villagers Behave in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”?
28. What Are the Consequences for Characters Who Don’t Have Any Influence in “The Lottery”?
29. How Does Shirley Jackson in “The Lottery” Communicate With the Reader Through a Description of Settings, Rules, Traditions, and Human Behavior?
30. What Methods Does Shirley Jackson Use to Build Suspense Between Characters in “The Lottery”?