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The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World Analysis

1130 Words5 Pages

With the purpose of understanding why writers write, this essay offers an analysis of the short stories of Shirley Jackson and Gabriel Marquez: “The Lottery” and “The handsomest drowned man in the world” respectively. Both writers perpetuate a contemporary literary genre in which realistic narrative and naturalistic technique are combined with surreal elements of dream or fantasy. Jackson and Garcia Marquez use symbolism in “the Lottery and “The handsomest drowned man in the world” to explore and communicate their perspective on magical realism through the main themes of the stories, the response to change and the importance of rituals. Jackson uses the black box and the stones to symbolise disapproval of change and the acceptance of traditions …show more content…

Most traditions and celebrations are meant to be jubilant and joyous, yet “The Lottery” shows another way to interpret it and confuses the readers with the title. “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” (6). This quote represents the tradition that the small town has been holding onto for many years. Like the lottery itself, the black box has no functionality except for two hours every June. As time passes, the purpose of the box is cloudy and confusing. But the villagers are terrified by both box and lottery, yet are frightened to drop either one. “The villagers still remember to use the stones” (7). Stoning is a horrifying way to die but also allows everyone to participate freely in the ritual, from youngest (mrs. Hutchinson 's youngest son) to old man Warner (oldest man in town). Stoning comes up specifically in religious texts such as the three most know religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. This evidence leads to information about how stoning is not an early form of murder but rather a classic way of expelling an outsider that does not accord with traditional beliefs. While we may associate lotteries and annual celebrations

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