The Hutchinson family is just one household hence the second drawing to determine the household is skipped. Summers rushed her husband through the picking, but the townsfolk dismiss her. The marked slip is in Bill Hutchinson’s hands, which means that his family has been selected. The papers are unfolded once all slips have been removed. On the morning of 27th June, the townspeople assemble just before 10, so they can be done by lunchtime.ĭuring the first round of the lottery, the heads of the extended families draw one paper slip each. Summer’s office until the beginning of the lottery. All slips are folded and put in a black wooden box, safely stored at Mr. Later on in the story, we learn that it was marked with a black dot. Graves, prepared paper slips for each extended family in town.Įach of these paper slips is blank, besides one. Two of the highest-ranking individuals, coal merchant Mr. Nonetheless, the people of this small town started the preparations from the night before. In the story, it is noted that nearby villages have already stopped practising it and that more are to follow. Here, the lottery serves as a harvest ritual to promote fruitfulness. Children run around and pick up stones while the townsfolk gather around. There are about 300 residents who are excited yet nervous about the annual ritual called ‘the lottery’. Everything takes place in a single day, 27th June, in a contemporary small American town. In The Lottery story summary part of our piece, you will learn vital details about the plot. However, the outcome of being selected is shocking and revealed at the very end of the story. Each year one winner is chosen at random.

It takes place in a fictional town and observes an annual ritual known as ‘the lottery’. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson was first published in the New Yorker in 1948.

Summary of the story the lottery