Sacrifice In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson, known for her captivating and intriguing writing, has written an incredible collection of short stories/novels, from The Haunting of Hill House to We Have Always Lived in the Castle. However, none have stirred the public’s opinion quite like Jackson’s 1948 short story, “The Lottery,” which, like many of her other classic American stories, presents a haunting story: a town that loses a new victim every year to a selfish and thoughtless tradition—masked as if it was inevitable and good for society. But despite creating a story that may seem absurd and shocking due to its controversial themes, from ritual sacrifice to scapegoating, Jackson delivers an enticing argument that highlights the struggle of women’s limited rights and

This evokes a “survival of the fittest” mindset among the women, as Professor Oehlschlaeger notes that “the nature of the process by which the victim is selected gives each woman a very clear incentive to produce the largest possible family. Each child she has gives her a better chance of surviving if the marked paper falls to her household in the first round” (Oehlschlaeger). By making child-bearing a survival tactic, the men are able to essentially hold ultimate power over the women, incentivizing the women to successfully complete their responsibilities as child-bearers. Jackson’s subtle yet extremely effective characterization and symbolism allow her to showcase the struggle women in the community face against the dominating men. Revealing many truths about modern day society’s unequal treatment of women vs. men, “The Lottery” serves to represent the sadly true disparity of power between genders. Jackson warns against succumbing to consistent oppression and traditionally harmful ideals, and instead advocates fighting to find one’s

“‘The Lottery,’ by Shirley Jackson.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 19 June 1948, www.newyorker.com/magazine/1948/06/26/the-lottery. Accessed 25 Jan. 2024. Murphy, Bernice M. "‘The People of the Village Have Always Hated Us’: Shirley Jackson’s New England Gothic." Short Story Criticism, edited by Lawrence J. Trudeau, vol. 93. 256, Gale, 2018 -. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1420124822/GLS?u=j043905002&sid=bookmark-GLS&xid=662129f. Accessed 13 Feb. 2024. Originally published in Shirley Jackson, edited by Bernice M. Murphy, McFarland, 2005, pp. 113-117. 104-126. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary'. Nebeker, Helen E. "'The Lottery': A Symbolic Tour de Force." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Christopher Giroux and Brigham Narins, vol. 87, Gale, 1995. http://www.gale.com/gale/gale/gale/gale/gale/gale/gale/gale/gale/gale/gale/gale/gale/gale/g Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1100001378/LitRC?u=j043905002&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=eb48f4a. Accessed 26 Feb. 2024. Originally published in American Literature, vol. 78. 46, no. 4 -. 1, Mar. 1974, pp. 78-95. 100-107. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary'. Oehlschlaeger, Fritz. The. "The Stoning of Mistress Hutchinson: Meaning and Context in 'The Lottery'." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Roger Matuz and Cathy Falk, vol. 78. 60, Gale, et al. 1990. Gale Literature Resource Center,