Question

What are some examples of irony in the story "The Lottery"? For example, why might the title "The Lottery," or the opening description in paragraph one, be considered ironic?

Answer 1

In the short story "The Lottery", by Shirley Jackson, there are many instances of irony.

The title is ironic since the idea of a lottery is to win something, in this case, the winner is stoned to death.

The opening description in paragraph one is considered ironic because it introduces the setting by describing the day as "clear and sunny" but it ends with the death of a woman.

In the story, there are also some ironic names such as Mr. Graves and Mr. Summers. While one may think of the summer as something enjoyable, he is in charge of the random killing of a villager every single year.