The Lottery
Essay by 24 • August 25, 2010 • 362 Words (2 Pages) • 2,038 Views
In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," she uses the element of
surprise. The way the story ends is unlike anything anyone
could predict. There are however several alternative ways
the story could have ended. The following is one possible
alternative ending to "The Lottery".
Everyone was prepared. Thirty minutes prior to the drawing,
the villagers started collecting the best and largest stones
they possibly could. Mrs. Dunbar picked up a handful of
pebbles and stuffed them in her pocket, she than chose a
stone so huge she had to pick it up with both hands and it
made it difficult for her to walk. Mrs. Delacroix collected
some small pebbles and made it just in time.
Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of
paper out of her hand. It had a black spot on it, the black
spot Mr. Summers had made the night before with the heavy
pencil in the coal-company office. Bill Hutchinson held it up
and there was a stir in the crowd.
"All right, folks," Mr. Summers said. "Let's finish quickly."
Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the
original black box, they still remembered to use stones. The
pile of stones the boys had made earlier was ready; there
were stones on the ground that the villagers had prepared
earlier along with blowing scraps of paper that hod come out
of the box. Mrs. Delacroix picked up the huge stone she
selected earlier and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. "Come on," she
said.
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