Area of Study: Belonging

Related Material Analysis

The Lottery

Shirley Jackson

Text Type: Short Story

Publication details: 1948

Works best with:

Arthur Miller The Crucible

Baz Luhrmann Strictly Ballroom

Student Activities

1. Write a brief synopsis of this short story, focusing on the relationship between the text and ‘belonging’:

2. Identify and explain TWO underlying assumptions that Shirley Jackson makes about

conformity as a means of achieving community cohesion and solidarity:

3. Research the context of The Lottery. In what ways has the context of the short story influenced Jackson’s perception of the nature of belonging to community?

4. Identify at least SIX language devices used and briefly explain how they convey aspects of belonging.

5. ‘When individuals are expected to conform, communities transform into places where belonging results in a loss of our humanity’. Discuss this view with detailed reference to Shirley Jackson’s short story The Lottery.