Irony often makes us laugh but it sometimes makes us gasp. Such is the
             case with Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Lottery." Through scenes
             with the setting, the characters, and even the title of the story provide a
             false sense of what the story is about. This false sense allows Jackson to
             effectively demonstrate how people can become creatures of habit.
             The setting of the story is ironic in that it is misleading. In the
             beginning of the story, we are told that the morning was "clear and sunny"
             (Jackson 617) and the "flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was
             richly green" (617). These are images that represent life and living at
             its fullest. The situations in which the characters are placed are also
             misleading. We are under the impression that he town is gathering for an
             event that is somewhat cheerful and certainly not terrifying. We read that
             the women greet one another and "exchanged bits of gossip as they went to
             join their husbands" (618). While the town gathers for its yearly lottery,
             Mrs. Hutchinson tells Mrs. Delacroix that she forgot what day it was as if
             the lottery were no big deal. This statement becomes ironic when we learn
             of Mrs. Hutchinson's fate. The setting along with the situations in the
             story work together to emphasize the sense of irony. This ironic setting
             foreshadows the dreadful ending of the story.
             The names of the characters are also ironic. For example, the name
             Summers is a symbol of life, yet Mr. Summers is the person in charge of
             conducting the lottery every year. It is ironic that he becomes the person
             who is in charge of the event that will take someone's life. Mr. Graves'
             name is ironic because he is the person who carries the black box to the
             lottery. He is also in charge of the papers. Ironically, the person who
             wins the lottery receives their death sentence from Mr. Graves.
             Additionally, Old Man Warner should ...