When the book was published, most of the protest against it came from such towns (Oppenheimer 32). The setting of “The Lottery” is synonymous with the setting in most small towns of the 1930s. All the villagers including children are obligated to participate in this ritual. The ritual takes place in a beautiful summer day in June (Jackson 234). The village is consisted of about three hundred residents who are both excited and terrified by the idea of an annual ‘lottery’ ritual. The setting of “The Lottery” is in a small town that resembles most American small towns. This paper explores how the elements of a short story are used in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”.

Although when the story was first published, it received massive criticism around the world, today it is regarded as one of the greatest stories in the history of literature (Hattenhauer 43). “The Lottery” is a story about human atrocities that happen within a village. An example of a short story that successfully employs these elements is “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. The quality of any short story depends on how well these elements have been employed. These elements include plot, setting, character, plot, conflict, and theme. Literary Elements in “The Lottery”Ī good short story has to have a combination of five elements. Some of the greatest short-story writers include Edgar Poe, Jack London, Mark Twain, and Stephen Crane. The American literature portfolio features some renowned masters of this craft. The length of short stories is not relevant to their quality. The prose writing that is usually employed in short stories depends on how the author organizes and presents his/her work of literature. Short stories are a common form of fiction in American Literature.

The lottery novel