In Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery", she uses many literary devices. However the most prevalent are irony and symbolism. Jackson uses irony and symbolism to illustrate the underlying darker theme not evident in the beginning of the short story. The use of irony is in almost every paragraph. Even the title of the story is ironic because it represents something positive but in the end the reader finds the true meaning of the title …showed first 75 words of 702 total…

…showed last 75 words of 702 total…of good fortune. At the end of the story the use of irony and symbolism reveal this dark and deadly town. The everyday normalcy becomes horrific as the reader learns that the lottery does not choose a winner. The marked ballot instead chooses one who must surrender everything by giving his of her life. This is Jackson's final and ultimate irony and once the reader discovers this fact, the evil throughout the story becomes evident.