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Symbolism In The Lottery And Harrison Bergeron

468 Words2 Pages

Firstly, the symbolism in both “The Lottery” and “Harrison Bergeron,” illustrates how governing authorities avoid engaging in change in their society, the author’s use of the lottery box and the mask to symbolize this. To begin with, the symbolism in “The Lottery” represents how villagers fear changes in their society, and this is shown when they continuously go on with tradition of the lottery box. This tradition has been in the village, for generations and yet they still practice it. Old Man Warner, who is the oldest man in the village, is considered the governing authority and he likes keeping things the same, so he does not alter the ritual. When Old Man Warner hears about the North village talking about giving up the lottery all he could say was that …show more content…

Also, Old Man Warner believes that the lottery box will help their village by saving them food, water and other essential needs. They should acknowledge how they are living in the past by conducting this tradition, they need to move forward and change. This demonstrates that the villagers do not want change their society due to the fear of what will happen after the lottery box is gone. In contrast, in “Harrison Bergeron” the symbolism is the mask, which has a different interpretation that relates to how the authorities control their people in fear of changing there “perfect society”. This can be seen through the ballerinas while they are performing their dance on T.V. When George was looking at the ballerinas on T.V, he thought for himself that “[the ballerina] must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous” (Vonnegut 3). The ballerinas are wearing masks while, they perform their dances, in order for everyone to look and feel equally beautiful. One can not distinguish the difference between people, they all appear the

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There are so many similarities and differences between the stories "Harrison Bergeron" and "The Lottery". But basically, in "Harrison Bergeron" everyone is equal, nobody is smarter than anybody else, nobody is better looking than anybody else, and nobody is stronger or quicker than anybody else. This is because everybody wears handicaps to make everyone equal to each other. But basically, one boy named Harrison Bergeron takes matters into his own hands and goes against the government. The government basically makes all these people wear their handicaps all the time.

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What if you were just informed that you won the lottery? Would you be happy? Would you tell everyone? That wasn’t the case for Tessie and her family. When they were gathered at the square in their town, on July 25 for the annual lottery day.

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Within this source it has a list of sub headings that cover symbolic meaning of the lottery, the lottery box, stoning and considering the authors background. The sub heading about the author Shirley Jackson provides me with some very crucial information around the long standing traditions of what the whole story really meant and the back ground of the author when she wrote this short story. Ironically Shirley Jackson was a women during the 1948 period in America. Which began to part the puzzle for me on the ideologies used in the story that contrasted America at that present time. For e.g. whether it was segregation, the lack of free voting rights or any of the many other traditions which still exist primarily because they have always existed.

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In the Lottery the Black Box and Old man Warner represent tradition. In Harrison Bergeron tradition represents their version of equality no one has ever questioned it because of the tyrannical government. One of the main differences in these stories would be at Harrison Bergeron and the Lottery would be Harrison Bergeron died trying to be a martyr and in The Lottery Mrs. Hutchinson died begging for her life. Bergeron knew he was going to die, but wanted to try to make people question what happened to society and that we need to change it.

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It allows the reader to experience the lottery in the way that the villagers would. They don’t know any better, and it's been a part of their lives for as long as anyone remembers, and the reader experiences this too as they don’t know about the dark twist until the end. Jackson’s portrayal of Old Man Warner also makes his attitude towards blind tradition quite visible. He complains how other villages are getting rid of the lottery and claims that it will cause everyone to “go back to living in caves.” Traditionally, older people are less likely to have an open mind to change, and this trait is visible in the character of Old Man Warner.

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The box serves as the only true connection to the beginning of the first lottery. Even though the box is worn out and aged, the village people do not want to disrupt the longtime tradition by changing it. The implication of the box in the story, and similar “boxes” today has with society, is that it is not only a significantly esteemed artifact, but simultaneously a significant hindrance to improving ethics as a people. The narrator explains that “The rest of the year, the box was put way, sometimes one place, sometimes another; it had spent one year in Mr. Graves's barn and another year underfoot in the post office. and sometimes it was set on a shelf in the Martin grocery and left there” (Jackson 389).

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They go about it without question as this is the village’s tradition. Tradition changes the way people view situations, as bad becomes good. The black box used in “The Lottery,” is a sacred object, and no one dares mess with it. “Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box but no one liked to upset as much tradition as was represented by the black box”(1).

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Additionally, the children of Mrs. Hutchinson showed excitement at not being picked but showed no emotion or pity as their mother was stoned to death. I found this part hard to comprehend, as I am very close with my mother and could not even imagine hurting her. Overall I saw the main message focus on the dangers of tradition, as tradition was symbolized by the black box. Other towns talked of giving up the lottery but Old Man Warner expressed his concerns, labeling the younger generation a “pack of crazy fools” (220). Even though some citizens expressed interest in the idea of change, no one ever spoke up as “Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much as tradition as was represented by the black box” (217).

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Additionally, the black box Old Man Warner brings to the square holds more than the “original paraphernalia for the lottery”, which was lost long ago (Jackson, 1948). The box shows importance and unknown powers that gives the reader a hint that its use draws the supposedly winning lottery. Then there was Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson, a woman who was late to the sacred meeting, which set her apart from the other families gathered at the square on time. The fact she was late isolated the character and possibly foreshadowed her secluded fate (Marshall, 2014). The use of foreshadowing builds up an unforthcoming tension throughout the story, leaving the reader searching for relief.

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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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In her story "The Lottery", Shirley Jackson implies the negative consequences of blindly following tradition through the acceptance, by the villagers, of the tradition of the lottery. Jackson suggests that the people of the village are afraid to give up the little tradition they have, even if it is not good. Every year after the lottery, the conductor of the lottery, Mr. Summers suggests that they should build a new box but, “No one [likes] to upset even as much tradition as [is] represented by the box.” (Jackson, 1). The black box symbolizes ritual and tradition.

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This indicates that the tradition has been going on for so long, the people that grow up with this find it normal to be done. The old man who criticized the other towns that grew tired of the Lottery has been used to seeing the Lottery around for so long and had actually supported the reason behind it. Next to the rocks in symbolism was the stool as well as the black box. The black box which was used to draw the pieces of paper symbolizes the key between life and death.

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They do not want to follow the other towns that had given up the lottery. The townspeople are apprehensive of transition because of the unknown factors. One of the examples in the story that shows their lack of willingness to change their customs is the battered black box they use for the lottery. It has been stained and the original color of the wood is shown on the side. Every year, Mr. Summers, who manages the lottery suggests to the villagers to get a new box.

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