Literary Analysis Point of View “The Lotterey” Essay

When a writer chooses the type of point of view for their story they have to take in consideration the impact they are trying to make on the reader. If the writer uses the point of view of first person they are taking part of the story and might not be telling the objective truth, the trustworthiness of this narrator is questioned. There are also other forms of writing like objective point of view and third person point of view.

Objective point of view the writer only tells what is happening without mentioning anything more than the story’s action and dialogue.

The narrator never says or gives any information about what the characters think or feel staying as a separate on looker. Third person point of view the narrator does not take part in the action of the story as a character but lets the reader know how the character feels. The reader learns about the characters and the stories through this outside voice created by the third person point of view. The point of view of the short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is written in third person and past tense. This story takes place in a small town where the people know each other and follow a tradition that is controlling. These people take part in this violent tradition once every year without asking questions or protesting.

The only protesting that happens is when Mrs. Hutchinson is about to get stoned to death, and the only kind of protest is answered with a saying that has been used for years and can be taken as a superstition. The reader thinks the Lottery is some type of prize because of the positive connotation it has in everyday life and because the narrator starts the story talking about what a nice day it was. The people were gathering in the square and talking. The children were having a fair time collecting rocks. The mention of the rocks this early in the story is like a hint to what is going to happen later on in the story, but the reader does not think anything of it because the narrator only shows how everything around the rock and stones seem to be happy and a normal celebration. Before the celebration starts the dad of Bobby Martin calls him over sharply, and the boy comes over to his father without any discomfort to the parent. Some would say the boy acted like this because he was a good child, but if the story would have hinted about what kind of celebration it would be the boys action would have been taken as scared and nervous.

The only way the narrator keeps the story happy and peaceful-like is because it was written in third person point of view. During the drawing of the papers the people are standing around the narrator does not show how the situation should be tense and suspenseful. This is only possible with third person point of view if the author would have used any other point of view like first person the reader would know from the beginning what was the twisted end and what the characters would feel about the event. When the old man takes part of the Lottery drawing he mentions how long he’s been doing it, for seventy seven years, as the reader not knowing the ending you think he is upset about not ever winning the lottery, but when a tall boy walks up to get a piece of paper from the black box he is nervous and awkward about getting the paper. This is the first place where the reader questions why the boy might be nervous or how the rest of the people are acting and what they are saying about the other towns not having the lottery and the reason why they do or do not take place in in the celebration.

When the families in the town open up their papers and look for whoever has the winning ticket they all seem anxious to find out. After the crown discovers Mr. Hutchinson has it his wife Tessie starts yelling and shouting because she think the drawing was not fair. This is the place in the short story where the reader realizes the lottery might not be a prize but something the small town does not look forward to every year. The town families wait through the grave moment for the Hutchinson family to re-draw the papers. When all of the members of the Hutchinson have a paper they crowd waits for the youngest to oldest to open the tickets they have re-drawn one of the daughters friends wishes it is her that does not get the winning ticket.

This is another place in the story that the reader does not know for sure how to respond to the situation because the story is written in third person. The reader only knows what has been said the fact that the lottery really is a scary old tradition has not been said or mentioned by any of the character. After the whole family has opened their papers except Tessie everyone looked at her for a moment and then ran off to get stones. The story is written in third person so no one knows what is about to happen obviously it is not some kind of fancy prize because the woman is yelling and holding up her hands out desperately trying to get the people to stop.

The second to last paragraph in the last sentence the narrator finally states in the story that a rock hit Mrs. Hutchinson on the side of the head. The only way the narrator keeps the story happy and peaceful till the very end is because it was written in third person point of view which is where the narrator does not take part in the action of the story as a character but lets the reader know how the characters feel.