How would you react if you won the lottery? In the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson winning the lottery means losing your life. Every one in the village has to pick a slip of paper out of the box. There is one slip that has a black dot on it. Then the family of the person who picked the black dot slip takes another slip. Whoever gets it on the second draw gets stones hurled at he or she until they are no longer living. This book has an irony mode of literature for many reasons.
The prize of winning the lottery is death, that is ironic. When most people think of a lottery they think of the winner getting a large some of money or something else that would have a positive impact on their life. It is ironic how in the short story winning the lottery is what you would least want to happen to you. The fact that the story itself is ironic is one of the main reasons that this story is an irony.
Along with being ironic this short story also has the characteristics needed to be classified as an irony mode of literature. Irony's are very unrealistic. Losing your life as a prize for winning the lottery fortunately isn't realistic. Another characteristic is that the main character can do no right. The main character knew her husband had picked the slip with the black dot, she demanded a redraw and she herself ended up getting the slip with the black dot. Another characteristic is that the main character is stupid and weak. She demanded a redraw which in a way was stupid and she didn’t even bother trying to defend herself as her whole village including her family hurled stones at her. This short story's characteristics also match those of an irony.
Another thing that makes this story an irony besides the characteristics is the plotline. An irony plotline starts with the world in chaos. For the village in the short story having the lottery means chaos. Next comes a major conflict. The major conflict is that the main character sees that her husband has the slip with the black dot which means that there is still a chance she will win. Last there is death or loss of sanity for the main character. The whole village including her own family threw stones at her until she died. This story's plotline matches the plotline of an irony.
As you can see The Lottery by Shirley Jackson definitely has an irony mode of literature. When you think of winning a lottery you would probably never think of the prize being death. This story contains everything it needs to have an irony mode of literature.
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