ipl-logo

How Does The Lottery By Shirley Jackson Change

644 Words3 Pages

Traditions are greatly valued within societies and are a connection to the early ages of a culture. Overtime the morals of individuals change and develop, but when a tradition fails to match the transitioning morals of a society, problems form. This occurs in Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” when people in a village are too brainwashed by the past to see the brutal truth of their actions. Every year a lottery takes place that ends with a murder at the hands of the family, friends, and neighbors of the victim. In “The Lottery” Jackson uses symbolism as a tool to illustrate the change in the village. In the text “The Lottery” Jackson uses symbolism of the name of Mr. Summer’s, the stones, and the black box to enhance the theme that …show more content…

Summers’ name to illustrate the change in society’s morals when the lottery occurs. A common theme in the story is that traditions can change a society. Mr. Summers is described as a “jovial man” in the beginning of the text and his name has the direct connection to warmth and happiness. Mr. Summers runs the Lottery and is an influential leader in his community. In the text it states “ The lottery was conducted -- as were square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program -- by Mr. Summers… devote to civic activities” (Jackson 1). The author describes Mr. Summers as running “civic activities”, which is ironic as he organizes a murder. In addition, Mr. Summers’ name itself is very ironic in the sense that summer has the connotation of warmth and brightness. But, he has a dark side as he leads the lottery. Mr. Summers represents the change in society; he hosts the teen club but also the lottery. When the time for the lottery comes, everyone within the village changes from amiable neighbors to animals. As the same people who take part in a Halloween Party stone the neighbors they once cared about. Furthermore, Mr. Summers also changes during the lottery time from teen club coordinator to a criminal in some communities. Mr. Summer’s illustrates the difference between the morals of a society with and without traditions. The symbolism of Mr. Summers’ name is used develops the theme and the dark mood in the

Show More
Related

What Is The Lottery A Universal Statement About Dangerous Tendencies In Human Nature

243 Words | 1 Pages

In the story “The Lottery”, the lottery tradition keeps society stable for the people of the village. I believe the story is a universal statement about dangerous tendencies in human nature. Jackson's "The Lottery" reveals that human beings in society are capable of committing cruel acts. Humans are often influenced by society, tradition, and even peer pressure. Cruel acts will be portrayed in society if humans are reflected by those elements.

Read More

How Does Shirley Jackson Use Symbols In The Lottery

1136 Words | 5 Pages

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” the author produces a story that contains symbols and their meaning. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is basically trying to comprehend the readers what the symbols in the short story could mean. In “The Lottery” there are an amount of symbols that are included in the short story, such as, the black box, the stoning, the people who live in the village, and even the setting of the story. A symbol is represented through the use of objects.

Read More

Use Of Satire In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

1225 Words | 5 Pages

Conformity and loss of individualism are pervasive problems in society today and author Shirley Jackson addresses them with irony and relatable examples. Early on in the story, the reader sees young children following the lead of others seemingly without question. Later on, no one is willing to part with the group and take a stand against the idea of a lottery because they enjoy feeling like they belong or they fear ostracization. This happens again, in an incredibly ironic situation, when Mrs. Hutchinson's own children begin stoning her in an effort to fit in with the group around them. Reliance on tradition is also criticized in this piece when the author describes how people refuse to replace a deteriorating box simply because it is traditional.

Read More

The Use Of Irony In The Lottery

328 Words | 2 Pages

In “The Lottery”, there are many scenarios which turn out to be ironic. This includes the setting and actions of the characters in the story. This irony is done to shock and surprise the reader about how the story ends. At the beginning, the setting is described to be very welcoming, “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full summer day” (Jackson). This quote from “The Lottery” shows how the author used beautiful imagery to convey a positive mood and scenario to start off the story.

Read More

Symbolism In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

1224 Words | 5 Pages

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” tells the story of a village during midsummer participating in a ritual that is done every year without question; while this village is trying to become a modern town, it also cannot deal with the changing of the times. The result of this unquestioned ritual is the death of one of the village people as a sacrifice for the entire village’s “benefit”. Many details in this story, such as the time the story is set, the props used during the ritual, the condition of the sacrifices, and the names of the townspeople, illustrate the symbolism intertwined in a story about a ritualistic, but modernizing town. Symbolism is seen from the beginning of the story through the time the lottery takes place on “[t]he morning of June 27th” (Jackson 419).

Read More

Change In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

903 Words | 4 Pages

Charles Darwin once claimed that, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” This is easy to say, but to actually be adaptable to change is very difficult. If you fear change you will be unable to develop and thrive, yet most people still fear change. In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” not being able to adapt to change is demonstrated.

Read More

Chapter Summary Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

429 Words | 2 Pages

Mr.Summers is a married, childless, business owner. He is, “jovial” and the towns people almost seem like they have pity for him because of how much his wife nags. However not one villager has challenged or questioned Mr.Summers position and role of authority in their village, and his power in the lottery. He draws the names on the day of the lottery as well as selects the family member that would be stoned to death. Furthermore, the fact that Mr.Summer will continue as the superior conductor of the lottery is almost as if it is a part of the tradition

Read More

The Lottery By Shirley Jackson Literary Analysis

663 Words | 3 Pages

Mr. Summers the man in charge managing the lottery each year. Summers is described as a “round-faced, jovial man”; however, in reality he is the man who gives approval of the murder following the draw (Jackson). Jackson used the last name “Summers” as a symbol of appearance vs. reality. While appearing to be a humble, modest, average member of society, Summers is arguably the most spiteful and guilty character throughout the story. It is challenging to infer what Summers true motives are: while in some areas of study Summers can be deemed a true believer of the lottery tradition, others might say that he is more power driven or driven by malice.

Read More

The Lottery Argumentative Essay

691 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout centuries, traditions and rituals have had the ability to control one’s behavior. In Shirley Jackson’s, “The Lottery”, she tells the reader of a small village. On the surface, this community may seem relatively normal. However, despite the picturesque appeal, this falsely serene village has a distinct deceitful flaw. On June 27th, every year, a lottery takes place.

Read More

The Lottery Tradition Essay

501 Words | 3 Pages

The Lottery itself represents a primal example of loss of innocence; portrayed through the young boys who gather at the town square to collect rocks for the horrors soon to follow. An illustration of how traditions can lose their true meanings and come to represent violence and warfare. Furthermore, “The Lottery” also represents the decaying characteristics of traditions, as symbolized by the town’s black box, in this case where every year, someone’s name is drawn out of the black box and they are stoned to death, by other members who may or may not end up to be family. Nonetheless, it ends up to be the villagers who

Read More

The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

997 Words | 4 Pages

Schools are out for the summer, so the children are enjoying a break from their studies. The adults, clearly friends and neighbors in the small village, greet each other as they all assemble on the square for the lottery. Beneath the cheerful facade, however, people are serious and focused on the event that is about to take place. Mr. Summers is in charge of the lottery and other "civic activities" in the town. He arrives with a black wooden box, followed by Mr. Graves, the postmaster, who is carrying a stool to set the box on.

Read More

The Lottery Shirley Jackson Analysis

373 Words | 2 Pages

Can you emagine that winning the lottery can lead to death that is what happen in the story the ‘’lottery’’ by shirley jackson. in this essay i will analyze the characters from shirley jackson. ‘’The lottery’’ by introducing the old man warner and mr.summer. First the old man warner dislike and likes are that mr.warner is scared of change because he is so used to the same tradition and it has been around for many years.

Read More

Foreshadowing In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

986 Words | 4 Pages

Jackson’s “The Lottery” entails an appalling sacrificial ritual in a town of people who mindlessly obey this outdated event, despite that some towns have stopped this ritual. It draws parallels to how early civilizations used sacrifices to ensure the betterment of their group, or to eliminate sins. In some respects, it alludes to the Salem Witch Trials during the 1600’s in which Anne Hutchinson ostracized and “was banished to Rhode Island” (Chemeketa) for her then liberal ideals. In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”, she uses allegory, symbolism, and foreshadowing in order to convey the theme that groupthink and/or mob mentality can dangerously allow people to blindly follow tradition impulsively without questioning it ethically.

Read More

The Use Of Tone In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

1333 Words | 6 Pages

For instance, Mr. Summers runs most of the village’s civic activities. Initially, it seems appropriate for Mr. Summers to be present as he also conducts the village’s square dances, teenage clubs, and Halloween program. This information leads one to believe that the lottery is a cause for celebration. As the villagers wait for the lottery to proceed, syntax is utilized to convey a sense of normalcy. The village’s men gather and speak about, “planting and rain, tractors and taxes” (367).

Read More

How Does Shirley Jackson Use Tradition In The Lottery

649 Words | 3 Pages

Shirley Jackson: The Lottery When you think of a tradition what comes to mind? Perhaps it is linked with your family’s core values, beliefs, or has significant meaning. Specifically, traditions are beliefs passed down from generations, they are not declared righteous or sinful, why they were born or still exist. Why do people follow traditions so mindlessly without knowing the purpose of it?

Read More

More about How Does The Lottery By Shirley Jackson Change

Related Topics

Open Document