The Lottery Short Story Analysis - 962 Words

Destructive Traditions Within The Lottery Shirley Jacksons The Lottery, raises many questions in the back of a readers mind towards the destructive yet blind rituals of mankind. The Lottery clearly expresses Jacksons feelings concerning mankinds evil nature hiding behind traditions and rituals. As her theme, she shows how coldness and lack of compassion in people can exhibit in situations regarding tradition and values. Jackson presents the theme of the short story with the use of symbols and setting. The setting of The Lottery supports the theme. Settings are constructed to help build the mood and foreshadow things to come. In the lottery, however, the setting ironically foreshadows exactly the opposite of what is to†¦show more content†¦The introduction of the black box into the story changes the mood and atmosphere of the crowd of people. The reason being is the box is what holds the key between life and death for each and every one of them. The black box embodies all the evil acts executed in the past and the ones to come. Even the color of the box is a symbol for evil. The box is painted in black, which has always been a universal symbol for evil and death. Besides color, materials used to make the box reveal how long the tradition has been kept, with some pieces of the box that had preceded it, the one that had been constructed when the first people settled down to make a village here (79). The villagers refused Mr. Summers request of making a new box but they were so stuck in the tradition that they did not want anything to upset it. Jackson shows in depth how callousness and cruelty can especially be revealed within old traditions. She explains through story how traditions arent always a noble event. At the time the story was placed, Im sure murder was a pretty big deal, and punishable by law. Of course, this is taking the moral of the story, and exploding it into the worse case scenario, losing a life. However, this theme shows true in many of the traditions we may partake in with our families. I have heard of some very weird traditions, such as drinking a cup of blood from the first deer aShow MoreRelatedThe Lottery Short Story Analysis1122 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery†, a short story by Shirley Jackson reflects humans deepest nature on tradition. Jackson uses routines as a way of illustrating the festival like qualities of the annual lottery. The setting of vibrant colors in the short story conveys a peaceful tone.The characters are portrayed as loving and caring. The ideas of a festival lik e a lottery, a homey setting and, the peoples actions all help develop the bigger idea. The people and tradition Shirley Jackson in her short story the â€Å"TheRead MoreThe Lottery Short Story Analysis1214 Words   |  5 PagesThe short story â€Å"The Lottery† written by Shirley Jackson begins with villagers gathering in the square, between the post office and the bank, to participate in the lottery which is not what it seems like because the story’s surprising ending reveals that Tessie Hutchinson, who draws the slip of paper with the black spot on it is stoned to death when the lottery ends. Shirley Jackson reveals through the use of irony, foreshadow, and symbolism in the story how much people can get caught up in maintainingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Unknown Citizen And The Short Story The Lottery 1230 Words   |  5 PagesThe Unexpected Truth The Poem Unknown Citizen and the short story The Lottery give examples how people can rebel and conform in different ways. The way these stories were written evokes a lot of emotions, from anger to confusion. In life there are two people in the world, ones who conform to every whim and those who will rebel to create a difference in their society or others. The Unknown Citizen, by W. H. Auden, is about a man who obeys the law and does what needs to done by a normal citizen.Read MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson974 Words   |  4 Pagesnature. b. Background In the short story â€Å"The Lottery,† the inhabitants of a village participate in a lottery, which is essentially a tradition for them. However, the villagers are oblivious to the true consequences and destructiveness of their death ritual. One June day each year, the lottery is conducted and the â€Å"winner† is violently stoned to death. The very same day, the villagers return home and carry on with their normal day-to-day functions. c. Thesis In â€Å"The Lottery,† Shirley Jackson manipulatesRead More Shirley Jacksons The Lottery 946 Words   |  4 PagesJackson wrote many short stories and even some books. They are more on the dark, witchlike side, however. Kelleher explains that Jackson stated in some interviews that she practiced magic. No one really knows if she was serious while practicing witchcraft or not, but it ended up helping her write her stories http://www.literarytraveler.com/literary_articles/shirley_jackson_bennington.aspx). A major story that throws people for a loop is â€Å"The Lottery†. This was Jackson’s first short story and many peopleRead MoreUse of Symbols in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson981 Words   |  4 PagesMany great authors use symbolism numerous of time in their stories. A symbol is a noun or word that represents a different idea. An author displays the symbols as a hit rather than blurting it out. Symbols are not only used in novels or poems, they are als o used in everyday use. For an example, the American flag has fifty stars on it which each star represents a state. On the other hand, the thirteen stripes plays the part of our thirteen colonies; the beginning of our country. Even with our highRead MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson And A Rose For Emily By William Faulkner960 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism in â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner The use of symbolism is used in literature to enhance writing and add meaning to a story, this is evident in the two short stories â€Å"The Lottery† written by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"A Rose for Emily† written by William Faulkner. With the authors use of symbolism Jackson and Faulkner are able to add depth to their writing in a way that connects with the readers. By adding symbolism to the short stories the authors manageRead MoreThe Unexpected Surprise of Violence1009 Words   |  5 Pagesin her short story â€Å"The Lottery† through the use of irony, symbolism, and denouement. On a summer day in a small town in the short story, â€Å"The Lottery†, Jackson takes advantage of the peaceful environment and adds a convoluted twist through a misleading title and Old Man Warner and his traditions. The title, â€Å"The Lottery†, is viewed as a fortunate phenomenon at first, but once the reader apprehends the story line their viewpoint will never be the same. In the sentence of the short story, TessieRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesWhen most people play the lottery today, they think about having wealth. Generally, people who win are happy about it whether they win one dollar or a million. The lottery in our society has grown to support education and it is often worth several million dollars. Usually, the winner of the lottery gains a lot of recognition for the money they win. But what would happen if there was a small town where people held a yearly lottery in which the â€Å"winnerâ₠¬  was the member of the town who was not sacrificedRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson910 Words   |  4 PagesLiterary Analysis of the Short Story â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson Shirley Jackson explores the subject of tradition in her short story â€Å"The Lottery†. A short story is normally evaluated based on its ability to provide a satisfying and complete presentation of its characters and themes. Shirley describes a small village that engages in an annual tradition known as â€Å"the lottery†. Narrating the story from a third person point of view, Shirley uses symbolism, foreshadowing and suspense to illustrate