There are moments that one will run across in "The Lottery" written by Shirley Jackson, that might cause a moment of confusion before reaching the end, simply because the human mind is rigid and and isn't used to thinking in such a manner, until the concept of the lottery becomes obvious in the conclusion. But if one were to keep their mind open (or even read the story twice with a sharper eye), they would notice subtle trinkets of information that explain just how this lottery isn't something people would be excited to win.
As the reader proceeds nearly halfway through the story there is an excerpt that evokes a different method behind the lottery: ""Horace's not but sixteen yet," Mrs. Dunbar daid regretfully. "Guess I gotta full in for the old man this year"" (Jackson 445). The key word is 'regretfully' in this excerpt; people aren't usually apt to be regretful when drawing for someone else for a lottery. Maybe she isn't the type who wants to take part in a lottery, however, it seems that there are others who feel unwilling to take part as well, such as Mrs. Hutchinson when she states "Theres Don and Eva... Make them take their chance!" (Jackson 447). Many people aren't willing to make sacrifices for a mere acquaintance; if one person has a chance to suffer, they might as well make sure someone else is there to face that chance too.
There are a few more parts within the story that foreshadow what is to come, but in order to catch these, the reader must keep his/her eyes peeled. If one were to analyze word-for-word as they read they might realize that maybe the ending isn't so shocking after all.
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