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Literary Devices Used In The Lottery

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Grant Ashby MaryAnn Larson ENG 102 23 April 2023 Blindly following Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" is a gripping and thought-inspired narrative that explores the darker side of human nature. The story is set in a small village where the annual lottery takes place, a tradition that the villagers have followed for generations. Jackson uses symbolism, tradition, and theme to send forth the story's message and leave an enduring impact on the reader which causes them to imagine the effects going along with what others do and say can have on them. In the short story, “The Lottery”, the author demonstrates how there is ultimate power in ritual as well as traditions and how following certain practices only because it is traditions can …show more content…

The black box that is used to draw the slips of paper represents the tradition of the lottery itself. The box is old and worn down, and the villagers are reluctant to replace it with a new one, despite its broken-down state. The box is also seen as a symbol of death, as the slips of paper inside represent the fate of those who draw them. The black dot on the winning slip of paper is a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice that the winner must make for the sake of the village's tradition. The stones used to stone the winner to death are another symbol of the villagers' complicity in the act of murder. The Lottery in today's time is something that people look forward to everyday; an enjoyable event that can cause someone to gain enormous amounts of wealth. Jackson uses this information to draw readers in and expounds the idea that not all concepts with initial great outcomes are worth it. The lottery is a symbol of winning something big and great but instead it was something horrific and abominable such as …show more content…

Jackson uses the villagers' blind adherence to the lottery as a commentary on human nature and our tendency to accept the status quo without question. The villagers never question the morality of the lottery or why they participate in it. They blindly follow the tradition because it is what they have always done, and they fear the consequences of not participating. The idea of following others' examples or as Jacksons calls traditions can be seen countless times in today's society. Numerous people continuously will follow others due to their rank in social status, which can lead to harm and danger like Jackson portrays in this short story. Jackson uses the character of Old Man Warner to illustrate this point. He is the oldest villager and the staunchest supporter of the lottery. He believes that the lottery is necessary to maintain the village's way of life, and he is fearful of the consequences if they were to stop the tradition. He says, "Lottery in June, corn will be heavy soon," suggesting that the lottery is a necessary sacrifice for a good harvest. Old Man Warner's beliefs represent the dangers of blindly following tradition, as he is unwilling to question the morality of the lottery or consider its origins. Blindly following traditions can lead to unfortunate consequences and events that are unpreventable once the action is

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“The Lottery,” is a short story written by Shirley Jackson portraying what readers think would be an innocent story. The story takes place in the summer, in a small village of 300 people. In the story Jackson describes the people of the village gathering for their annual lottery that has happened for years. She sets up her readers by naming the story “The Lottery,” which have them believe that the lottery will be a great outcome. Although, as readers read the story they have an odd feeling that something terrible will occur at any moment and there will be no great outcome.

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Another symbol that Shirely Jackson used within the story is the black box which is used to hold the slips of paper that determine whether the villagers will live or die in the end. The black box is a symbol of the villagers' ignorance and fear of what could happen. Jackson also surfaces when Tessie Hutchinson opens her lottery slip to the crowd. The slip then contains a black dot (Jackson 120). Just before the announcement of the lottery winner, Jackson subtly adds a subordinate clause in which we notice the blackness of Mr. Summers’ coal trade was transferred to the black spot on Tessie Hutchinson’s lottery slip.

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Finally, Jackson focuses on using paradoxes of rules, and the lack of rules, to communicate the idea that the villagers are not aware of the motives for their actions. All together, Jackson uses irony, foreshadowing, and paradoxes to establish the theme that one should be wary of the dangers of blindly following traditions. Throughout the short story, use of irony develops the theme. The first example of irony that “The Lottery” emphasizes is the name itself.

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The short story “The lottery” is about a small village that has an annual lottery in which the winner gets stoned to death. Many of the townspeople know this is inhumane, but they choose not to speak out because their name isn’t picked. Jackson uses direct characterization to describe all the characters in the village and uses symbolism throughout the story. Not to forget about the vivid description of the setting in the beginning of the short story. Shirley

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"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson begins innocently enough with a village preparing for an annual event, but as the story progresses, it becomes clear that the seemingly harmless tradition is anything but, forcing readers to confront the dangers of blindly following tradition. Jackson employs rhetorical techniques that highlight the importance of avoiding conformity, as it will lead to dire consequences. Shirley Jackson's story is a powerful example of the use of symbolism, vivid imagery, and irony to illuminate the danger and violence of blindly following traditions, as the seemingly innocent annual lottery in a small town ultimately reveals the brutal consequences of conformity and the human capacity for violence. Throughout the story Jackson

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Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" is a short story about a villages tradition of a lottery that leads to the death of a town member. Jackson uses literary elements such as symbolism throughout the story to convey the message of how cruel people in a society can be towards each other. In "The Lottery", Shirley Jackson uses symbolism of a Tessie Hutchinson, black box, and Old Man Warner to strengthen the theme of tradition and corruption within human society.

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Shirley Jackson was a mid-twentieth century novelist who composed many awarded pieces, most notably being “The Lottery”. Within this piece Jackson was able to adhere to multiple literary devices to create a dark dystopian setting throughout the short story. Jackson utilizes elements such as foreshadowing, juxtaposition, and irony in order to show that human nature is something to be cautious of. Throughout the story Jackson creates specific moments with certain characters or aspects that hint towards the shocking ending.

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Jackson utilizes satirical writing to criticize the tendency to stick to old traditions despite how they can be outdated, not true to their origins, and in the case of the lottery, quite senseless. He first paints a simple picture of town and a mysterious lottery that is heavily backed by tradition, which is made visible through the inclusion of Old Man Warner. Jackson also makes his point well known by mentioning on multiple occasions that the village has lost the procedure and meaning of the lottery to time. Jackson’s The Lottery seems innocent enough at first, but the included twist at the end achieves his goal of criticizing a blind adherence to tradition. In The Lottery Jackson harnesses both satirical and subtly critical language to

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The influential author Shirley Jackson is showing human nature and their tendency to become egoistic through “The Lottery”. The story unravels the annual sacrificial tradition of a village portraying the fact that human beings will blindly follow anything in the name of traditions. It is a twisted story that determines the fate of one of the villagers in the town every year by deciding which one of them will be ripped to death that particular year. Jackson makes the use of elements like the box and characters like Old Man Warner to convey egoistic, inhuman and harsh complexion of human along with social status prevailing in our societies.

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The purpose of the lottery is to continue the old tradition of sacrificing a scapegoat in order for a harvest. The scapegoat is chosen at random and then stoned to death by his/her companions. Although “The Lottery” reflects an event from the past, Jackson shows that many of the actions of the town resemble the tribulations that ensue in today’s society. To begin with, like the villagers in the story, our society also partakes in valuing tradition.

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It was almost a way of life and if it was not followed there were dire consequences. The story starts to become ironic when specified what the lottery really means to them. A lottery, in any other community, is seen as a chance to win rewards that are in your favor. Within this town, it’s a chance to murder a single person every year. The main idea Jackson make in “The Lottery” is that people can come to together to perform this terrible act and then completely forget about.

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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

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918 Words | 4 Pages

The box is black to represent death, but the fact that the selection process of who dies is a box that they cannot see into, in my opinion, also symbolizes the mystery between who it is and the blind faith in tradition that the town

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While real life traditions are rarely so extreme, Jackson’s exaggerated fictional example emphasizes her point to great effect. By the end of the story, the audience is convinced that the town is wrong to uphold the lottery tradition, but Jackson is not really writing about a lottery; she is writing about how damaging it can

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They revere the black box. Another use of symbolism is the lottery itself. The lottery represents traditions and ways of thinking that society goes along with because of how they are raised. The townspeople blindly go on with the tradition without truly knowing the significance. Mr. Adams suggests they give up the lottery like the neighboring towns, and Old Man Warner has to remind him of the significance saying, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon”

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