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Theme Of Shamelessness In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

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In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, Jackson depicts a society, dominated by men, where ritual murder not only is tolerated but also embraced. It is a society where, every year, the villagers come together and randomly draw slips of paper to determine which member of a family is going to be murdered. “The Lottery” shows an “innate savagery of man" (Nebeker 1). Despite a civilized outward appearance with schools, post offices, and banks, the villagers have not progressed from a primitive and inner Cain and Abel mentality where they are able to kill savagely on command with no remorse and no shame, just like Cain, who was able to kill his brother with no shame because Cain's offering was insufficient. The theme of shamelessness in a male-dominated society runs throughout “The Lottery,” not just during its horrible ending, and especially becomes obvious in the villagers’ lack of respect for life. Through the words of the male villagers, Jackson shows they feel no shame for what is about to happen. Specifically, the men show no shame in how they talk down to the women and express superiority. In one example, Clyde Dunbar is unable to draw, so Mrs. Dunbar decides to draw for him. Mr. Summers says to her, “‘Wife draws for her husband’ [...] ‘Don’t you have a grown boy to do it for you’ …show more content…

From the villagers’ words to their actions to their lack of value placed on life, Jackson shows a society that conducts a ritual killing in the same manner that it conducts “square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program” (Jackson 1). While most are unaffected, some of the villagers call for change by saying the Lottery is unfair; others say that a few towns have quit the Lottery altogether. In a powerful way, Jackson shows the reader the importance of saying the right thing, doing the right thing, and valuing human life by not being ashamed to stand up against

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Traditions are prevalent, particularly in small towns, like the one in the story, as a way to link families to past generations. The lottery that is held each year concludes with the villagers taking part in a vicious murder. The villagers are not fully aware of the reasons behind the lottery only that it is tradition and it has been taking place for many years. This shows the reality and consequences that come with thoughtlessly following such a bizarre

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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.

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Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” is a chilling examination of the most alarming aspects of human society, where seemingly innocent traditions disguise violent and unjust nuances. “The Lottery,” goes beyond its seemingly rural small-town setting to reveal important truths about the danger of conformity and random violence, the cruelty of injustice, and its similarities to the mechanisms of scapegoating and brutality witnessed during the Holocaust and the Cold War. Analyzing Jackson’s story’s many levels of symbolism reveals that it is both a precise critique of societal practices and a compelling account of the threat of corrupt authority. “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson, notably portrays the cunning nature of injustices perpetrated by

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Although many who read Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” believe it to be about a crazy town viciously slaughtering an innocent woman for the ritualized sacrifice to bring them a feastful harvest of corn, it very clearly demonstrates Jackson’s hope to educate readers of the horrors of society’s blind following using social conformity, tradition, and general acceptance. The story starts at around 10 o’clock a.m. on June 27, and children are stacking rocks. The whole town gathers around and picks one piece of paper per family, out of an old black box.

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Analysis: The communities in “The Lottery” and “The Mayflower Compact” blindly adhere to the traditions and guidelines of their people. In “The Lottery”, the villagers’ blind acceptance of the murder ritual allows it to become a permanent aspect of the tradition that occurs every year. Year after year, the fact that the ritual has always been an essential part of the village serves as a sufficient justification for the majority of the population. None of the villagers feel the need to question Old Man Warner or the motives of the lottery because it has been ingrained into the town’s culture. The villagers are oblivious and unaware of the barbaric nature of the lottery.

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