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The Lottery Symbolism Essay

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Symbolism in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," a seemingly idyllic small town participates in an annual ritual that turns out to be anything but benign. While the townspeople gather for the lottery with excitement and anticipation, the story's ominous undertones suggest that something terrible is about to happen. Through its use of symbolism, "The Lottery" reveals the dangers of blindly following tradition and the ways in which violence can become normalized in society. This essay will explore three key symbols in the story—the black box, the stones, and the lottery itself—and analyze how they contribute to our understanding of the story's broader themes. By examining the role of these symbols in "The Lottery," …show more content…

According to the story, "The tradition was led by Mr. Summers, who usually took care of village events, as well as Mr. Graves as the postmaster of the village. Mr. Summers came to the square with the black box in his hand that had been shabby" (Sianturi 140). This quote highlights the connection between Mr. Summers, who is the authority figure in charge of the lottery, and the black box, which contains the slips of paper that determine who will be stoned to death. The villagers, however, are deeply attached to the box as a symbol of their history and cultural heritage. As the story notes, "No one initiated to create a new black box because they did not want to infringe the tradition" (Sianturi 143). This refusal to change is evidence of the villagers' conservatism and their desire to preserve the past at all costs. Despite Mr. Summers' attempts to introduce a new box, "no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box" (Sianturi 144). This quote suggests that the black box has become a sacrosanct object, and any attempt to alter it would be seen as a threat to the very fabric of the community. The black box thus represents the authority of tradition and the limitations of change, two key themes that run throughout the …show more content…

The black box, the stones, and the lottery event itself serve as powerful symbols that underscore the story's critique of conformity, tradition, and the arbitrary nature of violence. Through these symbols, Jackson exposes the repressive nature of the villagers' adherence to tradition, which blinds them to the reality of their actions and prevents them from questioning the morality of the lottery's outcomes. "The Lottery" is a chilling warning against the perils of unthinking conformity and a powerful critique of the human tendency to become institutionalized into violent and oppressive societal

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468 Words | 2 Pages

The box is no longer black and it is stained so Mr. Summers tried speaking with the villagers about making a new black box but the villagers did not like the idea so much. The villagers were upset of the idea about making a new box because it was not only a tradition and the villagers also do not like to fool around with tradition, and the villagers loyalty of the tradition but, it also meant something to to the people that made the village. Jackson writes, “There was a story that the present box had been made with some pieces of the box that had preceded it, the one

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656 Words | 3 Pages

However the Black Box is the most important symbol in the lottery. The unifying theme is connected to the black box. The black box is fading in many ways which doesn’t interfere with the villager’s belief towards the tradition. The black box has a similar look to a black coffin.

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138 Words | 1 Pages

The black box in the lottery was symbolic of the tradition of the Lottery itself, as Mr. Summers even “spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box…” because he had to interact with it, unlike the other villagers. So in this, he reflects the villagers thought for change when they personally had to face the reality of winning the Lottery. As even the color of the black box is representative of the murder that occurs if you pull out the slip with the dot. Likewise, stool that upholds the black box is representative of the person that upholds the tradition as the one who is stoned to death.

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277 Words | 2 Pages

Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery” uses specific details regarding the stones to convey a malicious tone. This is because by the end of this short story, the reader discovers the unsettling role the stones play in the lottery. Near the end of the story, Jackson reveals to the reader that “although the villagers had forgotten the rituals and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones” (34). To paraphrase, the people of the village only preserve one of the original traditions from the lottery, stoning the “winner” to death. Not only does this indicate how hostile the inhabitants of this village are, but it also unmasks a sort of numbness that the villagers display towards the idea of murdering someone.

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443 Words | 2 Pages

The Black Box is very important because the towns peoples feel as if they must follow through with the tradition of using it every year even though the box gets in a worsening position year after year. “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 anything's being done.” every year the traditions, or they’ll go back to the stone age. The black box has a very powerful meaning . Mr. Werner, the eldest man of the town claims its a must do in the city, he feels as if horrible consequences will be put upon if they don’t go through with the lottery.

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1000 Words | 4 Pages

She again backs this up by stating, “The villagers kept their distance…” providing insight in that they didn’t want to be close to the box where they draw for the lottery. The people didn’t want to be associated with what the lottery and box represented and seemed to hesitate when it was their turn to draw from the black box. Jackson’s use of diction and the way she set the tone throughout the story clearly led the reader to believe that what the box and the lottery represented was negative and represented

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227 Words | 1 Pages

The short story “The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson, the plot in the story that it only gives people an account of drawing lots to determine the winner who shall be stoned to death for harvest. However, we get a deep impression of the characters and their fate after reading the story. Jackson indicated a prevalent theme, the indirect of characterization and using symbolism and irony to modify this horror story. The Allegorical story of “ The Lottery” is often regarded as a satire of human behavior and social institutions, and exemplifies some of the central themes of Jackson’s fiction, including the victimization of the individual by society, the tendency of people to be cruel, and the presence of evil in everyday life.

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However, the unexpected and unsettling climax of the tale reveals the actual significance of the narrative. As American literary scholar He Pratap puts it, "Jackson's 'The Lottery' exposes the horrors that a supposedly civilized society can hide under a dominant male mindset" (Pratap par. 9). The townspeople gather in the square, eagerly anticipating the yearly tradition of "The Lottery." However, the meaning of the lottery is unclear, and the villagers' actions and conversations become increasingly ominous. The black box is a potent symbol of death, with its long history in the village and the ritual surrounding its use.

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1060 Words | 5 Pages

Jackson gives an impression that the shabby, black box is a personal and constant reminder to the people so that they must remain faithful to the tradition of their forefathers and never ponder on the notion that those customs might be wrong or immoral. In addition, the villagers’ behavior towards the box embodies their assessment on the entire system of the lottery. They seem to be frightened by the lottery and the box, but they are even more petrified to alter or doubt one or the other. Pressures, traditions and longstanding beliefs may potentially guide that society to an extensive ignorance and sanctioned malevolence that is directly strengthened by

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691 Words | 3 Pages

The purpose of the lottery is to continue the old tradition of sacrificing a scapegoat in order for a harvest. The scapegoat is chosen at random and then stoned to death by his/her companions. Although “The Lottery” reflects an event from the past, Jackson shows that many of the actions of the town resemble the tribulations that ensue in today’s society. To begin with, like the villagers in the story, our society also partakes in valuing tradition.

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501 Words | 3 Pages

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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492 Words | 2 Pages

The Symbolism of The Lottery One big symbol that the short story is discreet about is the black box that is repeated throughout the short story symbolizes fear to adults which could affect even the most innocent. The black box appears to be the only paraphernalia that is still being used in the tradition of having a lottery. Mr. Summers is the one who is running the lottery at the time. Mr. Summers is seen as a nice man, however, when he is introduced, he is seen with the black box. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a short story that uses the black box as a symbol to convey an underlying message that when the power of a tradition is given to a person, it could lead a crumbling society.

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467 Words | 2 Pages

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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995 Words | 4 Pages

Charmain Baker-Deer ENC1102 Mar 02, 2018 Essay draft 1 Topic: What is the theme of “The Lottery”? “The Lottery” is about small town, with a population of three hundred people. Everyone from the village is subjected to participates in an annual ritual, where members are required to pick from a black box to determine their destiny. In “The Lottery,” Jackson highlights human kind capacity of victimizing violence and tradition to control the masses.

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505 Words | 3 Pages

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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