*76 POINTS
Read this excerpt from "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.

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 with the blowing scraps of paper that had come out of the box. Mrs. Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. “Come on,” she said. “Hurry up.”

Mrs. Dunbar had small stones in both hands, and she said, gasping for breath, “I can’t run at all. You’ll have to go ahead and I’ll catch up with you.”

The children had stones already, and someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles.

Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. “It isn’t fair,” she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head.

Old Man Warner was saying, “Come on, come on, every-one.” Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves beside him.


By the end of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," how does the contrast between the characters’ view of the lottery and that of readers' impact the story?

A)Because the characters’ view the lottery as acceptable, while readers view it as horrific, it creates shock and suspense over Tessie's fate.

B)Because the characters view the lottery as an important annual ritual, while readers view it as outdated and dull, it gives the story a soothing tone.

C)Because the characters view the lottery as fun and enjoyable, while readers see it as disappointing, it adds humor to the story.

D)Because the characters view the lottery as dangerous, while readers see it as exciting, it fuels confusion and outrage over Tessie's behavior.