The lottery, by Shirley Jackson Why did you choose this literary work to explore? What interests you about it?Out of all of the pieces of literature that we have read in class, The Lottery to me is an exciting story, about a crazy tradition. I think it is very interesting placing yourself in the story, how horrible it would be. Can you imagine having a lottery in your own town? That would be nuts!2. What is the theme of the literary work (not the plot)?The theme of the story is about this small town and their strong belief in the lottery. They believe that the lottery is a part of their history, and it must continue, year after year. 3. Why do you think the author wrote this work? Does it deliver a burning message of some kind? What forces in the author’s life do you feel may have motivated him or her to make this work? I think that somewhere a long time ago this may have really happened. The author probably read about this, and was amazed to read it, much like I was when I read The Lottery. The story delivers a message that some traditions are no longer considered morally correct. My guess would be that the author of The Lottery at some point in her life experienced a tradition that she did not believe in her self. 4. (continuation of 3) What do you need to know about the social, psychological, historical, political, economic, artistic, or literary contexts in which the works was written in order to proceed with your project? What information have you made so far? Where are you going to look for this information? I need to know a lot about the historic, political, and the literary contexts to proceed with me project. The information that I have made so far is minimal. I will look for this information on the Internet, and other stories written by Shirley Jackson. 5. How will a second work by the author assist you in this investigation? What other works of the author have you identified and explored? Have you s...
