Read the text and then look at the following statements. Respond to the statements in each section. Tick if you agree, cross if you disagree. Discuss your responses with others.
Level 1 Literal Statements
Does the text say this? What words support your answer?
☐ Mrs Hutchinson arrives late to avoid ‘The Lottery’
☐ The ‘Lottery’ is conducted formally in its entirety.
☐ The lottery uses chips of wood
Level 2 Interpretive Statements
Does the text give you this idea? What words and phrases support your answer?
4. ☐ Tessie Hutchinson doesn’t want any of her children in danger.
5. ☐ The boy children are excited at the event
6. ☐ The town is considering abandoning ‘The Lottery’
Level 3 Applied Statements
Do you agree with this? Why? Be prepared to share your reasons.
7. ☐ Following the crowd can have disastrous consequences
8. ☐ Ordinary individual people bear the responsibility for the collective’s actions.
1. Where does the story take place?
2. Describe the mood and tone at the opening of the story.
3. What had Bobby Martin already done? What do you think this implies about the events of the story?
4. Who arrives late and why?
5. Explain Old Man Warner’s position regarding the institution of the ‘Lottery’.
6. How does the mood of the opening paragraph change when you know the ending of the story?
7. Look at Jackson’s description of the black wooden box and of the black spot on the fatal slip of paper. What do these objects suggested to you? Why is the box described as battered? Are there any other symbols in the story?
8. What possible reasons /explain Tessie’s reaction?
9. This story satirises a number of social issues, including the reluctance of people to rejected outdated traditions, ideas, rules, laws and practices. What kind of traditions, practices, laws etc might ‘The Lottery’ represent today?
10. How did your initial understanding of the term “lottery” compare to the lottery in the story? How did your initial understandings help or confuse your interpretation of the story?
Here are some possible vocabulary tasks
Read through the story and create a list of words unknown words, or interesting words. For each words, look up the definition, write it down, and write a sentence using the word correctly.
Look up the words. Find their meaning and then use them in a sentence.
boisterous, surveying, jovial,
scold, paraphernalia, perfunctory,
interminably, petulantly, stoutly, daintily
Create a cross word using your vocabulary list.
Create a vocabulary list on vocabulary.com – master your words, challenge others to a vocab jam.