The setting of Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" takes place in an area named "the village." Though it is thought to be inspired by the small New England villages, the village in the story is never formally named.
The lack of a formal name for the village in "The Lottery" is used as a literary device. The intent is to evoke the idea of any village. The suspenseful story build anticipation as it illustrates the events that are occurring prior to a gathering. The lottery at the center of the story was a also a point of reference, as a small prize was often offered to draw villagers to town.
