The Lottery and Other Stories

Explain the pacing in this section and it's overall effect on the story.

" There was a great deal of fussing to be done before Mr.
Summers declared the lottery open. There were the lists to make
up-of heads of families, heads of households in each family,
members of each household in each family. There was the proper
swearing-in of Mr. Summers by the postmaster, as the official of
the lottery; at one time, some people remembered, there had been
a recital of some sort, performed by the official of the lottery, a
perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each
year; some people believed that the official of the lottery used to
stand just so when he said or sang it, others believed that he was
supposed to walk among the people, but years and years ago this
part of the ritual had been allowed to lapse. There had been, also,
a ritual salute, which the official of the lottery had had to use in
addressing each person who came up to draw from the box, but this
also had changed with time, until now it was felt necessary only for
the official to speak to each person approaching. Mr. Summers was
very good at all this; in his clean white shirt and blue jeans, with
one hand resting carelessly on the black box, he seemed very proper
and important as he talked interminably to Mr. Graves and the
Martins. "

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Last updated by Aslan
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I think this section is adding context and meaning to both the "lottery" and the irony of the story. The ceremony and pageantry of the lottery past is juxtaposed with the hollow routine of the lottery present. The pacing seems less hurried and less immediate than the main part of the story.