Answer:
The act/ behavior of Mrs. Delacroix is ironic for she seemed to have more respect and interest in preserving the tradition than her friend's life.
This instance of irony shows that the villagers hold the power of tradition more important than the barbaric tradition of putting someone to death just for a "good harvest".
Explanation:
Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" set in an unnamed village in an unspecified time/year tells of a village's annual ritual of stoning one person to death as a way of 'offering' for a goof harvest. This ritual is barbaric and the people in the village also knows it but they wouldn't change it anyway.
The present year's lot fell on the Hutchinsons, where another lot drew Tessie out as the year's 'winner'. Mrs. Delacroix seemed to be a close friend of Tessie, for we see them standing together and talking while the lottery was about to start. But once the "winner" had been chosen and Tessie "won", Mrs. Delacroix began to take the biggest stone, "<em>so large she had to pick it up with both hands</em>" and urged Mrs. Dunbar to hurry so that she can get back to her house chores. This is ironic, considering she seemed to be close to Tessie just few minutes back. But now, she doesn't seem to have any remorse or pity for her friend.
The ironic or unexpected behavior of Mrs. Delacroix in wanting to get the "ritual" over with, shows not only her but also the whole village's ingrained practice of the annual ritual. They seem to keep more importance on tradition, even if it seemed barbaric, than saving a friend's life. So accustomed are they to the long standing tradition of the "lottery" that they seemed to know nothing better but observe it and be done with.
Answer:The speaker believes that Porphyria herself wants to die because he says she felt no pain. In the end, the speaker says, 'And yet, God has not said a word!,' which probably means that he felt God would punish him for the murder. In this interpretation, the themes are Love and Sin.
I believe you meant the quotation that shows Jacques in a positive light is and your answer should most likely be "he was supposed to be sensual and a fast liver. It was therefore by the mere grace of the form that he was at first captured"
good luck in your future studies, dont forget to ask the question correctly so you can get a good answer!!
-a
