Question

most frequently taught short stories in american literature.
purpose for reading: to understand how an author reveals a message about following
the crowd by using the storys setting and structure to foreshadow important events.

the morning of june 27th was clear and
sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-
summer day; the flowers were blossoming
prolifically and the grass was richly green. the
people of the village began to gather in the
square, between the post office and the bank,
around ten oclock. in some towns there were
so many people that the lottery took two days
and had to be started on june 26th, but in this
village, where there were only about three
hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten
oclock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for
noon dinner.

the children assembled first, of course. school was recently over for the summer, and
the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together
quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of the
classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands. bobby martin had already
stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example,
selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; bobby and harry jones and dickie
delacroix — the villagers pronounced this name \dellacroy\ — eventually made a great
pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other
boys. the girls stood aside, talking among themselves, looking over their shoulders at
the boys, and the very small children rolled in the dust or clung to the hands of their
elder brothers or sisters.

soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of planting and
rain, tractors and taxes. they stood together, away from the pile of stones in the
corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed. the women,
wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk. they
greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands.
soon the women, standing by their husbands, began to call to their children, and the
children came reluctantly, having to be called four or five times. bobby martin ducked
under his mothers grasping hand and ran, laughing, back to the pile of stones. his
father spoke up sharply, and bobby came quickly and took his place between his father
and his oldest brother.

the cairn, yellowstone national park, by bernard
spragg, nz is in the public domain.

what is the mood of the townspeople as they gather for the
lottery?

a they are mostly light - hearted and friendly.

b they are all serious and sad.

c they are nervous and scared.

d they are completely quiet.

Explanation:

The text describes children playing boisterously, men chatting about everyday topics like planting and taxes (with quiet jokes and smiles), and women exchanging gossip as they gather. This depicts a relaxed, casual, friendly atmosphere among the townspeople before the lottery proceeds.

Answer:

A. They are mostly light-hearted and friendly