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THE LOTTERY CommonLit Answers – FREE Access
Find the answer key for the topic “THE LOTTERY” below:
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Discussion Questions & Answers
Following are our answers based on the questions provided:
Q.1. Why do the townspeople agree to take part in the lottery and turn against each other? Do you think their willingness to take part in the lottery makes them bad people? Why or why not? Can you think of any real-world examples where people have done bad things for what they believed to be the greater good? Cite examples from the text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.
Ans: I believe that the townspeople continue to take part in the lottery because it is a long-lasting tradition in their community, and they do not know how to stop it. It can also be because the lottery can be tied with a ritual and beliefs that after the lottery takes place, their crops and community will prosper. As for the question of if the citizens are bad people for being a part of the lottery, it is my opinion that every person has good and bad in them. As for the Villiger’s fates, it would be immoral and unjust to condemn them and label them as simply “good” or “bad”. The reader does not know the reasons for the lottery and because of this the villagers cannot and must not be judged for their actions. I believe this can also be compared to the moral and ethical question of whether would you rather kill a man in place of five others, another hard-hitting question.
Q.2. Mrs. Hutchinson doesn’t argue about whether or not the lottery is fair until her husband is picked. Why do you think this is? Do you agree with Mrs. Hutchinson that it is unfair that her family was selected for the lottery? Why or why not?
Ans: I believe that Mrs. Hu Hutchinson didn’t argue about whether or not the lottery was fair until her husband was picked simply because she did not think her family would be picked and because in her head it didn’t affect her , she had no problem with it. I disagree with Hutchinson because she had the same odds and chance of her family getting picked as much as everyone else. In the “Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, to “win” the Lottery means that someone in the family will be sentenced to death by being stoned to death. Everyone has an equal chance of being the winner and Hutchinson was just shocked and heartbroken that her family was chosen.
Q.3. Are you surprised that everyone in the town goes along with the lottery? Why or why not? Do you think the townspeople are influenced by the actions of those around them? Have you ever felt compelled to do something because other people were doing it?
Ans: I am not surprised that everyone in town goes along with the lottery because they are in a large group with the same ideas circulating thus causing a mob effect. They are all influencing one another and because of this not a single person stands back and rises to the occasion of stopping the lottery since they are all peer pressuring one another. A person I once knew by the name of David, did not want to go to college but because their friends and family kept pressuring him and influencing him and so he did as they pleased. Everyone once influenced David and although he thought it was a good idea, years later when none of those people were in his life, he regrated the decision and ultimately wished for a different
life.
Assessment Questions & Answers
Following are our answers based on the questions provided:
Q.1. The description of the lottery in paragraph 1 is meant to make the reader feel —
Ans: that the lottery is a pleasant tradition.
Q.2. Which of the following describes a theme of the text?
Ans: Even if something is cruel, people have the tendency to follow the crowd and participate.
Q.3. PART A: What purpose does Old Man Warner’s character best serve in the story?
Ans: He represents the fear of change and desire to follow traditions.
Q.4. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
Ans: “‘There’s always been a lottery,’ he added petulantly. ‘Bad enough to see young Joe Summers up there joking with everybody.'” (Paragraph 32)
Q.5. How does the detail “And someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles” contribute to the text (Paragraph 76)?
Ans: It stresses that everyone participates in the lottery, even Mrs. Hutchinson’s son.
Q.6. How does your perspective as a reader about the lottery change over the course of the story? What moments developed that change?
Ans: The lottery is an activity that includes drawing many lots and the prize is distributed to the person who wins the chance of drawing. At the beginning of the story, The winning lottery chance is a good thing and good news for every member of the community, and it is only when fatal punishment awaits the winner that our point of view changes.
The moments that developed the change:
Although the reader does not learn the real story behind the lottery until the first stone hits Tessie’s head, there are certain indications that something bad is going to happen. Throughout the story, the writer does not mention any kind of a prize for winning the lottery. The people gathered become evidently nervous as the lottery starts. Tessie’s increasing dissatisfaction over Bill being the winner.
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Conclusion
In CommonLit, “THE LOTTERY” is one of the students’ favorite short stories authored by Shirley Jackson for grade 9 students.
The Lottery is a short story by Shirley Jackson that issues a report about a community that gets a chance to win the lottery.
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Hi, I’m Annie Smith, and I’ve been a teacher for over 5 years and have taught students at all levels. I love to help students get ahead of their exams and provide helpful guides on various topics.