By: Shirley Jackson 1. The people of the town are holding lottery tickets because they are waiting for an event to take place on this specific a day. "(The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the here were so many people post office and the bank, around ten o' clock; in some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started in June 2nd)." 2. 3. The writing style of the story is a thriller, because of the suspense the author creates through the tension amongst the people of the village, which foreshadows that something awful about to take place. "(The girls stood aside, talking among themselves, looking over their shoulders at the boys. and the very small children rolled in the dust or clung to the hands of their older brothers or sisters)."
"(They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed. The women, wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk. They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands. Soon the women, standing by their husbands, began to call to their children, and the children came reluctantly, having to be called four or five times).” 4. Jackson creates a suspenseful atmosphere in the beginning of the story, because the reader is aware the an event is about to take place pertaining to a lottery ticket, but we do not know what the prize or the outcome is. The suspense builds through the actions of the characters in the story. ”( Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix-- the villagers pronounced this name "Dellacroy"--eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys.)." Jackson heightens