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Symbolism of the story the lottery by shirley jackson
Use of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Symbolism within the lottery by shirley jackson
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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.
"The Lottery" shows this by showing how people follow traditions without thinking about the consequences or leaving the tradition in the past and when one leaves the tradition they are viewed as a "pack of young fools" (Jackson, 32). Jackson is critiquing society and how they do not like to think for themselves till it is too late. Tessie Hutchinson did not question the lottery till it was involved in her family's life and then her life, then it was too late to think for herself. " Harrison Bergeron" depicts this in a different way, by showing what the world would be like if society did not question the government. Everyone is like everyone else, and when a person is not, the government gives them handicaps so they are not different, this causes them unable to think for themselves or take "unfair advantage to their brains" (Vonnegut, 3).
Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery", reveals the danger of normative traditions and behaviours becoming ingrained in social mores, in the absence of critical thinking. To elaborate, those who simply conform to practices are numbed to its consequences. Mr. Summers' lack of thought is revealed when he says: “… guess we better get this [killing] over with so’s we can go back to work.” (Jackson 2) His remark reveals an insensitive attitude to the proceeding, which will claim the life of one of his fellow citizens.
Through in these dire situations it can be looked at has unfair, but according to their society everyone is equal in each jurisdiction. In “The Lottery” Tessie Hutchinson, wife of Bill Hutchinson, is the enforcer of the event. She was outspoken at times, and concluded the tradition is not fair even though everyone has the same equal opportunity of being selected. When it comes down to the selection, she is livid over a tradition that has been practiced for generations. She has the right to because this tradition is misogynistic.
The world is currently affected by the foulest illness of all: conformity. Many people are nervous to stray away from tradition in fear of being an outcast, even if that means following customs like racism and sexism, which causes chaos among the country. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” displays this morbid reality when a town of villagers gathers to obey their annual tradition. Although this event appears at first to be pleasant and festive, it soon becomes clear that the prize is not something of value. The “winner”, it turns out, will be stoned to death.
The Lottery Template Topic Sentence: One can see by examining the symbolism of the worn out black box, and the foreshadowing of the children putting rocks in their pockets in the The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, that this story is a classic archetypal horror story. Argument: Firstly, one can see that when Mr. Summers arrived at the square carrying a black wooden box, he asked the villagers if anyone would give him a hand with putting the box on the three- legged stool, however, many hesitated to come near the black box, a symbolic twist that foreshadows the imminent ending. The black box has been used for generations, even before the oldest villager. It has been said that the current box was made from the pieces of the
Most people do not think of small towns to be safe and very calm, but this is not the case sometimes. Shirley Jackson in her time wrote a story about a town doing something terrible. Which then became controversial with one of the most hated stories of its time. Although it was a hated story, it shed light on small towns everywhere, and people thought that just maybe a small town can be as dangerous as Jackson depicted it. “The Lottery” was the title, and as said, very controversial in its wake.
“The lottery” (1948) Analysis The short story, “The lottery” by Shirley Jackson takes place in a small village. Was conducted the lottery story in 1948. In this story, the lottery is a yearly tradition that takes place in a small American Town.
Conformity is a powerful and influential behavior that can drastically affect a society’s circumstances. The morality and wellbeing of the individuals’ in a society are shaped by the everyday traditions and customs of that culture. Shirley Jackson, an award-winning author for her works in horror and mystery, unveils the perturbing effect of conformity on a society and its people in her short story “The Lottery.” In her thought-provoking story, a village situated in a warm area of England prepares to partake in a traditional crop fertility ritual that involves a paper drawing to elect a ‘winner’ who will be stoned to death. The societal conformity to continue this brutal tradition causes the life of a person to be insensitively taken away each
Hutchinson said, as quietly as she could. “I tell you it wasn’t fair. “ (para. 61 ) However, everyone else goes along with the lottery as though blind and oblivious to it’s fatal result that would prove to be the end of one of their own lives. All along, utilitarianism appears to be the key driving force behind this lottery.
The extreme tradition in Shirley Jackson's, "The Lottery," produces no positive difference, but rather only a negative difference. The traditional belief upheld by the agrarian village in Jackson's story is human sacrifice, which aims at satisfying their gods so that they may have a copious harvest. When the lottery session determined that Tessie Hutchinson won the lottery, she said in response, "it isn't fair." (Reading Literature and Writing Argument) Tessie believed prior to winning the lottery that she was going to lose; however, she became a victim of her overconfidence.
The story, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, wanted us to acquire that the fear of change, and expressing your opinion can drive you to follow the crowd. This short story takes place in a small New England village on June 27th. A ritual called The Lottery was being practiced. A case in point, the author tells us, “Every year after the lottery, Mr. Summers began talking again about a new box, but every year the subject was allowed to fade off without being done.” (p. 1-2)
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
Human nature can be characterized as being positive, capable of altruism and goodness which sets humankind apart from savage animals; however, human nature possesses a dark side, namely cruelty, and it is capable of barbarism like any beast. In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, cruelty is part of human nature, and the participants of the lottery demonstrate human cruelty through violence towards one another; markedly, by exhibiting desensitization to violence and the acceptance of violence resulting in internal dysfunction which is perpetuated yearly. Participants of the lottery belong to a close-knit community, and every year the community hosts an enigmatic lottery draw. The conclusion of the lottery draw is only mysterious until the outcome
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson It creates a sense of suspense and shock to everyone who reads it and is considered an all time great. In her story she develops this suspense by the use of irony, imagery, and foreshadowing to develop her theme. One device that Shirley uses in her story is the use of irony.
