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Exposition
The people in the town are enjoying the beautiful day as the children gather stones and the adults assemble for their annual event. -
Rising Action
People in the town start to gather around 10 a.m. to conduct their annual event. The heads of the extended families each draw one slip from the box, but wait to unfold them until all the slips have been drawn. -
Climax
The Hutchinson family has received the chance to draw again in the lottery. Each member of the family then goes up to select a final piece of paper. Mr. Hutchinson, Mrs. Hutchinson, Bill Jr., Nancy, and David all draw again. -
Resolution
Mrs. Hutchinson is declared the winner of the lottery, and is stoned to death. This is considered a tradition of the town.
We discover that the stones the boys gathered at the beginning of the story were meant for the stoning -
Falling Action
The townspeople wait to see who has chosen the "black dot," which indicates that they are the winners of the lottery. Each member of the Hutchinson family draws again. The townspeople need to help Little Davey pick his paper because he is so little.
A whisper goes through the crowd after each family member has picked. "Who is it?" everyone asks.