Irony Bodes Irony

Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, epitomizes situational irony. This is proven most obviously through the irony of the outcome of this village's lottery. Instead of a positive and joyous outcome for the "winner" and in turn an improved lifestyle, he loses his life altogether (or she in this case, I suppose). In fact, in this case, the "winner" can be considered a loser.
The irony of the entire story, however, is foreshadowed through Jackson's more subtle use of situational irony earlier in the stroy. For instance, Jackson describes Mr. Summers as the "official" (Jackson, 266), implying that he should dress and act in a formal manner. However, Jackson writes, "...in his clean white shirt and blue jeans, with one hand resting carelessly on the black box" (Jackson, 266). In the same sentence, Jackson utilizes more irony as he goes on to write, "...he seemed very proper and important" (Jackson, 266). Jackson referes to Summers numerous times as an "official" and as "important", but the description of Summers implies otherwise. This irony prefaces the situational irony of the story as a whole.