The Lottery

The Lottery
Shirley Jackson

This short story contained multiple pieces of foreshadowing. One example of this is the little boys collecting stones. This example could be easily overlooked because the reader could simply see the collection of stones as child's play, but as the end of the story approaches, the reader realizes the significance of gathering the stones. The little boys protected the pile of stones until after the lottery when the townspeople then took the stones to use against Mrs. Hutchinson. Another use of foreshadowing  was in Mrs. Hutchinson's late arrival at the lottery.  One quote that suggests her demise is "Thought we were going to have to get on without you, Tessie''(Jackson). This may seem insignificant, but this suggests that her family will have to live without her in the future. After being stoned, presumably to death, Mrs. Hutchinson's family will have to carry on with their lives without her.