1
Dissection of the Settings
Addisen Sullins
Liberty University
ENGL102 (D16): Composition and Literature
Professor Hobson
11 – 13 - 2023
2
Dissection of the Settings
Introduction
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson as well as “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D.H.
Lawrence are two extraordinary works of literature. For this reason, this class has required
the reading of the works. It was within the midst of reading both, that the exquisite nature of
the settings stood out. The detail and well-planned nature of it all tied each story together.
This author implores that while the settings may be different, the part each plays in the story
is astronomical.
When and Where
The most noticeable difference between the two settings is the sheer amount of
descriptive insight the reader is given. “The Lottery” describes the exact date, time, and even
the weather in the story. This date is June 27th at exactly ten o'clock in the morning on a
described as clear, sunny, and warm summer’s day. Shirley Jackson goes on to describe the
village itself and the event unfolding in detail. Whereas on the contrast “The Rocking-Horse
Winner” does not have as exact of a description when it applies to the setting. The reader is
given the knowledge that the setting is a nice house that encloses a garden. However, the lack
of description in this story does not make it feel that it is lacking. It is this short and
seemingly sweet description of the house/setting that casts a certain light on the characters.
As well as the story to follow.
Impact on the Characters
What is the light that is shown on the characters in “The Rocking-Horse Winner”?
The light is one of falsehoods and discontent that has been cast upon the parents, and
inherently upon the sweet young children as well. The parents live a life of splendor off the
money that they do not have. Still, they try to keep up the façade to the neighborhood to make
themselves feel better. This makes them contemptuous of greed, specifically the mother. The
3
house that is described is a house of greed and anxiety in the story, so much so that it leads to
the death of the son. He died of an unknown illness in the story, however, the stress of money
and the house surround his death. Meanwhile, in “The Lottery” the setting is a small village
that has an odd tradition. The village seems happy and lush despite its small size. The
tradition is the lottery, and it takes place in the center of the village. The setting is
surrounding the major events of the story. At the center, a tragic event happens to a young
woman that is brought upon her by the lottery. It all has a certain air about it.
The Atmosphere
The weird sense that you feel throughout “The Lottery” comes to its climax at the
immediate end of the story. It leaves you to question what happened to the young woman
even though you already know the answer. The story has a sort of theatrical quality to it like
the infamous “Hunger Games”. From the lottery to the group stoning of the woman for the
sake of tradition. It is all foreshadowed by the seemingly happy environment with little detail
such as the boys gathering the stones. Whilst “The Rocking-Horse Winner” has an
atmosphere of stress and worry that is brought upon by the contempt for money. The
atmosphere only builds this feeling leading to the boy’s death at the end. The description of
the house, in the beginning, makes it seem happier despite the negative description of the
mother’s relationship with the children at the start. It certainly does not meet the expectations
from the initial description.
Expectations
This expectation in “The Rocking-Horse Winner” is one of a happier ending with a
rocky start. After all, the setting is “pleasant”, with emphasis on the pleasant, house. You
would not expect the anxiety holding up inside said house to drive a boy deathly ill in search
of money. “The Lottery” has an extremely similar appeal in the beginning, minus the rocky
start. Everything seems so normal, even the foreshadowing of the boys stacking rocks just
4
seems like happy kids playing in the beginning. The lush and happy village leads to an almost
horrific and sadistic ending. The deathly stoning of the young woman all hung off the fact of
tradition and worse, excitement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, changing the quality of a story on the amount of description that goes
into its setting would not do a story justice. A setting can be exquisitely done and pivotal to a
story without it having to be disclosed to the smallest detail. Take “The Rocking-Horse
Winner” as an example. The story is amazing just as “The Lottery” is, and they both have
varying descriptions of settings. It is this author’s wish that this essay has shed light on the
importance of setting in fictional storytelling.
