The fact that the boys build a big pile of stones in "The Lottery" creates suspense because it hints at the impending violence and sense of ritualistic sacrifice associated with the lottery. The stones symbolize the brutality and barbarism that lurk beneath the seemingly idyllic and traditional community. As the pile of stones grows larger and larger, the tension and suspense build as readers anticipate the horrifying outcome of the lottery. The act of piling stones serves as a foreboding and ominous foreshadowing of the violence and cruelty to come, adding to the overall suspense of the story.
