A great way to engage students in analysis is through the creation of storyboards that examine Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, and Theme. This activity is referred to with the acronym "TWIST". In a TWIST, students focus on a particular paragraph or a few pages, to look deeper at the author’s meaning.
Using an excerpt from the second page of the story, where there’s a hint that there’s something more going on with this “lottery” than just good luck, students can depict, explain, and foreshadow what will happen in the story, while getting a good idea of the author's voice.
The postmaster, Mr. Graves, followed him, carrying a three-legged stool, and the stool was put in the center of the square and Mr. Summers set the black box down on it. The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool, and when Mr. Summers said, “Some of you fellows want to give me a hand?” there was a hesitation before two men, Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, came forward to hold the box steady on the stool while Mr. Summers stirred up the papers inside it.
| T | TONE | Mysterious and foreboding: the villagers are keeping their distance from a box that is supposed to be a part of a lottery. Normally, a lottery is an exciting event. |
|---|---|---|
| W | WORD CHOICE |
Distance, space, hesitation |
| I | IMAGERY |
“...Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, came forward to hold the box steady on the stool while Mr. Summers stirred up the papers inside it.” |
| S | STYLE |
The author is very descriptive, leaving a feeling of foreboding and uncertainty, when she writes, “The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool…” |
| T | THEME |
There is more to this box that holds these papers than meets the eye. Perhaps this lottery isn’t such a good thing after all. Perhaps the theme will point to the dangers of depending on luck. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Perform a TWIST analysis of a selection from "The Lottery". Remember that TWIST stands for Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, Theme.