Irony in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery (Essay Sample)

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Irony in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery
Throughout the story, Shirley Jackson presents us with multiple instances of irony which convey a message that is opposite of what is obviously expected. Also, there are instances when the dramatic irony is embodied whereby the audience sees the words and the actions of the presented characters in an opposite viewpoint to what the characters themselves believe.
It was evident that even the title itself, "The Lottery," is ironic. In this instance, everyone expects a win situation on hearing the word "lottery." Participating in this lottery would have to be associated with a desirable prize. Thus, the outcome of the story is expected to be a big win. However, the winner is stoned to death in this case. This is typically ironic, as it is not what is expected in reference to the title given.  Winning the said lottery eventually turned out to be tragic (Jackson 715).
The opening of the story is also ironic. From its introduction, it describes the day as "clear and sunny” (Jackson 272). Here, a clear and sunny day would have few disturbances, and the progress would be gradually calm. However, the ending with the death of a woman makes it ironic because the day was not eventually clear and sunny.
Another instance of irony is when Mrs. Tessie Hutchison becomes the winner of the lottery and yet she was so late that she almost missed the