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The Lottery: A Symbolic Analysis

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“To put symbolism into a definition, it is when an object or an action has many layers of meaning in a story. These meanings may not be apparent at first glance, but will become more clear as they are considered throughout the story. The object or action’s meaning will be something other than simply it’s literal meaning” (Heichel). Symbolism plays a critical role in both “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Furthermore, the authors of both stories incorporated objects such as a black box and a mockingjay to have a much deeper meaning than their obvious literal meaning. Throughout both The Hunger Games and “The Lottery” symbolism is used in various ways to reveal a hidden meaning in the stories.
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In “The Lottery” the main character Tessie Hutchinson was given her name to symbolize another, Anne Hutchinson. According to the Anne Hutchinson Biography, Anne spread her own interpretations of the Bible which was against the governing ministers. Hutchinson was later tried, found guilty of heresy, and banished from the community. Likewise, Tessie Hutchinson stood up against the lottery by saying, “You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair!” (“The Lottery”). Tessie attempted to stand up against the lottery just as Anne attempted to stand up for her religious beliefs; ultimately, ending badly for the both where Anne was banished and Tessie was murdered. On the other hand, Katniss from The Hunger Games also has a symbolic name; “katniss is an edible aquatic plant also referred to as ‘arrowhead’” (Krule). Furthermore, this plant belongs to the genus Sagittaria which there is a constellation with the same name, Sagittarius, known as the archer. Ultimately, the definition of the plant and the constellation perfectly fit the personality of Katniss Everdeen. Katniss has impeccable bow-and-arrow skills which played a vital role in her journey throughout the hunger games. Therefore, Collins spent time determining Katniss’ name which perfectly fit her personality and role in the movie after all. Meanwhile, the two mastermind’s

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In the short story, “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson shows the theme of The Duality of Human Nature. The character Tesse Hutchinson did not agree with “The Lottery” she thought it wasn’t fair. In the story Tesse Hutchinson husband got picked to be killed and that was when she said it wasn’t fair.

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Symbolism allows the author to create a story that would otherwise be bland and monotone. Without this dark romantic element, books, short stories, and poems would not have as much meaning nor appealing detail. Symbolism in "The Raven," "The Devil and Tom Walker," and "The Minister's Black Veil," creates layers of meaning and interesting characters. Symbolism has been used for centuries to spice up the literary world. Sometimes it is used in obvious ways, but other time it has to be thoroughly studied to be imperturbably understood.

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Symbolism is a standout amongst the most vital scholarly terms utilized frequently by numerous authors to pass on their focal thought. As indicated by the Longman Contemporary Dictionary, Symbolism can be characterized as a gadget that brings out more than an exacting importance from a man, question, picture or word. Symbolism plays a big factor in this story. The significance of Mrs. Moore trip with the kids to FAO Schwartz is caught in Bambara's utilization of Symbolism. The youngsters took a gander at various elite toys outside the store.

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In 1948, when the New Yorker published Shirley Jacksons piece, “The Lottery,” it sparked outrage among readers, but could arguably be known as one of her most famous pieces of writing. In this short story, Shirley Jackson used literally elements such as imagery, diction, and symbolism to foreshadow the negative and harsh ending of the story; the harsh ending that sparked such outrage by society in the 1940’s. One of the main ways Jackson foreshadows the ending and true meaning of her short story, “The Lottery,” is through symbolism. Jackson uses the color black throughout the story.

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“The Lottery” is a short story that employs devices such as symbolism, dialogue, and inner thinking. “The Hunger Games” is a novel that uses craft moves such as description, symbolism, and dramatic irony. In “The lottery.” Jackson uses symbolism to set up the problem. While in “The Hunger Games,” Collins uses symbolism throughout the story to stir empathy.

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In “The Lottery”, Shirley Jackson uses characterization, symbolism and themes to develop the action of the short story. First of all, one of the literary devices is characterization, Characterization in

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So then Tessie starts to complain that the drawing was not set up properly (Jackson). In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson uses the symbolism, characterization, and theme to develop this short story. The symbolism of

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In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," the author has demonstrated each symbol and the meaning that holds behind them. The black box is culturally known as a dark and evil color. It represents the fate of the people in town, and the three-legged stool is used as a support for the black box to lay on top of the object. Stoning is ancient.

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Through my reading of Helen Nebeker's article " The Lottery: Symbolic Tour de Force, I've found many symbolic items throughout the story as according to Nebeker, "It is at this secondary point that the reader begins to suspect that a second story lies beneath the first and that Miss Jackson's "symbolic intentions" are not "incidental" but, indeed, paramount. Then one discovers that the author's careful structure and consistent symbolism work to present not only a symbolic summary of man's past but a prognosis for his future which is far more devastating than the mere reminder that man has savage potential. Ultimately one finds that the ritual of the lottery, beyond providing a channel to release repressed cruelties, actually serves to generate a cruelty not rooted in man's inherent emotional needs at all. Man is not at the mercy of a murky, savage id; he is the victim of unexamined and unchanging traditions which he could easily change if he only realized their implications. Herein is horror"(Nebeker).

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The main symbols displayed in the lottery are the rocks, the black box, as well as the stool. The rocks symbolize the method of death. Stoning was a common way of killing people who had to pay a price of some sort. However, they would want to make the experience painful and drawn-out.

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The short story “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson is full of literary elements. The old and innocent, small town atmosphere creates the perfect stage for this ironic tale. Several literary elements are evident throughout the composition but three specific elements stand out the most. Jackson’s unique ability to use tone and style, symbolism, and theme are what makes this story so fascinating. Tone and style are critical literary elements in “The Lottery.”

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Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is an account of a tradition gone awry. In this short story the villagers of this town have a tradition where they have a “lottery” to see who gets stoned to death. The characterization and symbolism used in the story makes the reader feel as if society has crumbled with the inhumane tradition that ultimately lost its meaning. Throughout the story, Jackson uses characterization and symbolism to imply a message to society about the meaning of tradition. Through the use of characterization and symbolism Jackson establishes that blindly following traditions can be hazardous

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