The use of figurative language in Shirley Jacksons The

Lottery is significantly expressive, manipulative, and

interesting at the same time. Jackson manipulates her
readers by utilizing literary elements such as imagery, irony,
and symbolism.

Imagery is one important technique that breathes life

into characters' surroundings. Shirley Jackson provides
accurate details of the landscape where the short story takes
place, so that the reader will be able to picture the setting
clearly. She uses imagery by selecting vivid stamps of daily
life in a typical community to make the story more realistic:

The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with

the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers
were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly
green. (Jackson, 5)

As concrete details can enliven a setting, they can do

the same for particular characters. Small details help to form
an image in the readers mind. Shirley Jackson uses this kind
of character imagery in describing Mr. Summers: He was a
round-faced, jovial man and he ran the coal business, and
people were sorry for him, because he had no children and
his wife was a scold (Jackson, 7). This imagery gives the
reader the notion that Mr. Summers is familiar to them.

Shirley Jackson also uses a lot of other descriptions to

help the reader experience the story. For example, the way
she described the black box: The black box grew shabbier
each year: by now it was no longer completely black but
splintered badly along one side to show the original wood
color, and in some places faded or stained (Jackson, 8).
Another description when she portrays the Waston boy: A
tall boy in the crowd raised his hand (Jackson, 12). In
addition to the descriptions of the papers in the black box:
Then Mr. Adams reached into the black box and took out a
folded paper and 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 (Jackson).