Lottery :: essays research papers

"Mood Shifts"     Many authors use mood shifts in their stories to leave a greater impact on the ratifier and make it easier to understand. The particular state of mind or feelings of a person is ones mood. Various aspects of ones surroundings can extrapolate a mood. A story often creates a specific mood or even causes a number of different moods to arise in a short period of time. Shirley Jacksons short story, "The Lottery" does just that, by forcing different moods to surface in various sections of the story. The peaceful mood at the storys beginning, the anxiety that gradually builds, and the eventual horror at the storys conclusion demonstrate mood shifts in this story.     The mood at the beginning of the story is very happy and pleasant. "The morning of June 27 was clear and sunny, with the fresh worth of a full-summer day the flowers were blooming profusing, and the grass was richly viridity"(112). This quote describes a beautiful scenic picture, which gives the reader an implication of peace and calmness. The village seems to be conducting a normal, uneventful day. At ten o time the villagers began to gather in the square. Everyone in the town is moving about, having conversations with the other townspeople who gather in the square. "Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of set and rain, tractors and taxes"(112). This describes how nothing is happening and it is just a regular day with ordinary conversations. The readers mood is one of happiness and calmness. It is not until further through with(predicate) the story the reader begins to detect small details that imply that something out of the ordinary is about to occur in the townspeoples peaceful lives.     The upbeat pleasant mood at the beginning of the story slowly fades, as the tension and suspicion rise. Within the story the reader begins to detect small hints which pr oject everything is not as it seems. The anxiety grows as the lottery approaches. "He held it firmly be one corner as he turned and went hastily hind end to his place in the crowd, where he stood a little apart from his family, not looking down                                                         Neale 2at his hand"(115). The mans scatterbrained movements imply that some unusual action is going to take place. "By now, all through the crowd there were men holding the small folded document in their large hands, turning them over and over nervously"(115).