Subtle contrast or irony in fiction is creative writing at its peak. For example, the values of the grandmother in Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” or the wallpaper in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Often, these ironic contrasts cause the reader to reflect on the wider world around them. These are the things that make horror in literature palpable. Accordingly, I thought it appropriate to provide an analysis of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. It is a uniquely horrific tale by the author of The Haunting of Hill House.