Ideas And Symbolism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson tells the story of a small town and the fatal consequences of the community lottery. The author uses repetition of ideas and symbolism to convey this theme. Old Man Warner and the repeating idea of there always being a lottery have an important part in the theme of “The Lottery.” The reader has a different view than those in the story. One theme in “The Lottery” is the problem with society accepting traditions and refusing change because they want things to be done how they have always been. One can come to recognize this theme when realizing the town’s callousness in the killing. “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stone. The pile of stones the boys had made earlier was ready; there were stones on the ground with the blowing scraps of paper that had come out of the box. Mrs. Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. ‘Come on,’ she said. ‘Hurry up” (310). The town has forgotten the reason and origin for the lottery. However, they have not forgotten to use stones for killing. “The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to

He has a significant role in the story as this is his seventy-seventh time participating in it. Some of the town’s people tell Old Man Warner that this tradition is becoming old and many towns have already stopped doing it. “‘Some places have already quit lotteries,’ Mrs. Adams said. ‘Nothing but trouble in that,’ Old Man Warner said stoutly. ‘Pack of young fools’” (308). Old Man Warner considers it to be foolish to stop the lottery. “‘…There’s always been a lottery,’ he added petulantly” (308). As long as he has been alive, there has been a lottery and he refuses to let that change. This repeating message of there always being a lottery supports the theme of resistant to change based on