In “The Lottery,” Jackson wrote about a special tradition of a small village. June 27 was warm and sunny, and it seemed like nothing could go wrong. Everyone knows the lottery as an exciting thing and everyone wants to win, but this lottery is unlike any other. This lottery was actually the tradition of stoning an innocent villager; that year it was Tessie Hutchinson. Although the gruesome ending was not expected, throughout the story Jackson subtly implied that this was no ordinary lottery. Jackson foreshadowed Tessie Hutchinson's death with the stones, the black box, and the three-legged stool; she showed that unconditional support for tradition can be fatal. Stones play a major role in foreshadowing and symbolism. The reader may overlook the importance of the stones because at first they did not seem unusual. The children were playing and collecting rocks before the lottery, but the reader has no idea that the rocks are going to be used to kill Tessie Hutchinson. Jackson began to foreshadow with a subtle allusion: "Bobby Martin had already filled his pockets with stones, and the other boys quickly followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones" (Jackson). Jackson said the children picked up smooth stones, not jagged, sharp rocks, which could kill a person more quickly. Although picking up smooth stones may seem like an insignificant detail, Jackson was actually foreshadowing the ending. Jackson showed the regularity of the stonings: "...finally made a large pile of stones in a corner of the square and protected it against the incursions of the other boys" (Jackson). The boys treated it like it was a game; the boys felt the need to ensure... middle of paper ... the villagers would never forget the stoning. Throughout the story, Jackson shows, through symbolism and foreshadowing, that he is blindly following a tradition. can have horrible consequences. All objects connect at the end. Since the villagers have unquestioningly accepted the tradition, they have allowed the killing to take hold in their town. Works Cited Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. New York: People's Library, 1949. Print. Kennedy, XJ and XJ Kennedy. The Bedford Guide for Academic Writers: With Reader, Research Handbook, and Handbook. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005. Print. Nebeker, Helen E. "'The Lottery': Symbolic Tour de Force." American Literature 46.1 (March 1974): 100-107. Rep. in contemporary literary criticism. Ed. Christopher Giroux and Brigham Narins. Flight. 87. Detroit: Gale Research, 1995. Information Resource Center. Internet. April 4. 2014.