Say, “In a story, the important pieces of information are called key details. The big idea that the story is about is called the central message. Sometimes a story is about a lesson, or something the author wants us to learn.

gothic horror fiction

“It had simply never occurred to me that these millions and millions of people might be so far from being uplifted that they would sit down and write me letters I was downright scared to open,” Jackson said later.

Tessie is symbolic of the scapegoat in “The Lottery,” which is sacrificed in ritual atonement for the sins of the tribe. However, she is also an average member of the tribe who sees nothing wrong with the system until she is selected.

Hutchinson say that the lottery drawing is unfair? She arrives too late to draw a slip of paper. She knows the result of the lottery is bad. She wants her friend to have another chance.

Theme is the main or central idea in a literary work. It is the unifying element of a story. A theme is not a summary of characters or events. Rather, it is the controlling idea or central insight of the story.

Main Idea includes the overall message of the text that a writer intends to convey to the audience. Almost all genres of literature have one or two main ideas in them. However, the main idea in literature is not limited to one sentence or paragraph; instead, it develops and grows throughout the text.

Story Elements Review Quiz

Jackson starts to foreshadow the climax by creating some anticipation with the children and when the black box was pulled out. She also foreshadows it when Mrs. Hutchinson says that it is not fair, when the Hutchinson family was pulled the first time.