Symbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay

When 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 “winner” was the member of the town who was not sacrificed? This question is answered in Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery.” In reading this story, and reading literary criticism about the story, there were many symbols and much symbolism in this story.

Every day, people live most of their lives following traditions that were passed down to them from past generations. Tradition is the transmission of believes, ideas, or laws from generation to generation. It plays an important role in connecting families, villages and communities together. Whether it be a cooking recipe, a celebration like a quinceanera, or how to raise children, traditions play an important role in how people go about and live their everyday lives. In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, tradition takes on an important role in the development of the story. Symbols, like the black box and the lottery itself, along with the characters ,like Tessie and Old Man Warner, in the story all contribute to the theme of “The Lottery” which is the consequences of following traditions without questioning.

The story started when people are gathered every end of June for the annual lottery ritual in a small village. All the head of each family are required to grab a slip a slip of paper in the box that is placed in the middle of the village. The in charge of the lottery was Mr. Summer. The conflict occurs when Tessie found out that her husband Bill was the center of the Villager’s attention. There is something on the paper that he picked. Because of that Tessie can’t even accept it and she keep on yelling that it is not fair. She believed that the time given to Bill was not enough to pick the paper that he wanted from Mr. Summer. The entire Hutchinson family, are

When writing, authors use various writing techniques and devices to better their story. From onomatopoeia, and similes, to mood and setting, these devices are what make the stories we read astounding. Atmosphere specifically is imperative to a great writing piece as it is prevalent throughout the entire story. From the first three words to the last three words, the reader is focused on the mood they are interpreting from the storyline. In “The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson, the mood is what makes the story so amazing and helps us understand the theme.

“The Lottery” is a short story by Shirley Jackson, first published on June 26, 1948. The story was initially met with negative critical reception due to its violent nature and portrayal of the potentially dangerous nature of human society. It was even banned in some countries. However, “The Lottery” is now widely accepted as a classic American short story and is used in classrooms throughout the country.

Within the first few lines of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" we are faced with such adjectives as clear, sunny, fresh and warmth. She goes on to paint a picture of small children just out of school for the summer, as the townspeople gather for the annual Lottery. This leads us to believe that the rest of the story is as cheery as the summer day initially described. We as the readers are virtually unaware of the horrible senseless events that lie ahead. Through the use of symbolism Shirley Jackson reveals the underlying decay of ethics that results from an empty ritual followed by narrow-minded people.

In the beginning of the story the author (Shirley Jackson) starts the story off by describing the scenery of a town in which the town is richly green and the people are starting to gather together. In the text it states, “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o’clock” Carefully crafting words in the quotation such as fresh warmth and village began to gather creates the illusion that there is going to be an event which is rather

Shirley Jackson is to be considered one of the best authors of the 1900’s. Her style of writing reeled in readers from all different ages. She can be creepy, hilarious, and inspiring to the eyes that see her words. In Shirley Jackson’s short story, The Lottery, she keeps the reader on the edge of their seat wanting to continue reading beyond the final word. She uses literary devices to shape her story to grab her readers attention all throughout the story. By using these literary devices, Shirley Jackson shows off her dark and twisted side as well as her fantastic writing style to emphasize why she is one of the writers of her generation.

"Everything that makes the world like it is now will be gone."(Jackson 1) An important quote from "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson saying that the traditional way is no more valid and there is a new way of doing things. The lottery, the black box, and stones are Jackson symbols of death and a reality where people obeyed an unjust, cruel tradition blindly.

The Lottery, a story written by Shirley Jackson. Most people would read the name of the title and automatically think the story is about a simple lottery where you win money, but this short story is one that most would never forget. As the reader of the story I found myself confused and not interested in finishing the story at some parts because of how odd the whole concept was. A few things that drew me into finishing this short story and writing about it were the interpretive keys. Jackson uses the interpretive keys symbols, setting and tone to carry out the theme to the readers, which in this case was me.

Another symbol to acknowledge in the story is the serpent. The serpent came in the story in a stick figure way. “This is a dull pace for the beginning of a journey”. The sneaky serpent confided this saying to

In stories there will be objects that will constantly be mentioned within the story. This is what is known as Symbolism. Symbolism is the use of object, name, or person to represent an idea. If a name is being use, a name such as autumn can represent the adulthood of a human. Creatures such as an Eagle, represents ‘Freedom’ and ‘America’. Even inanimate objects can represent ideas; the light bulb represents ideas that just sparked into a character’s head.

I watched the Finch children and Dill go into the courtroom debating if I should have ever left Arthur at home alone. Quietly I snuck into the courthouse, slipping through the closing doors behind them. I stood off to the side, to keep a secret that I had left the Arthur at home. I’ve heard of Tom Robinson and the Ewells, so I know the vulgar things Bob Ewell's does to his oldest child Mayella. But I felt the tension, it was obviously the blacks were all scared for Tom, hoping he’d be set free. Hoping there innocent mockingbird would be set free.

The prejudice in Tom’s trial is also visible by the segregated seating arrangements of the whites and the blacks in the courthouse. The portrayed segregation not only takes place at the Maycomb court of law but had appeared through out the novel in all aspects of Maycomb life. This segregation is illustrated by Harper Lee through imagery and is strengthened through the realist aspect of the novel. The author shows prejudice through this segregation by revealing the two contrasting places where the ‘white and blacks’ lived and even where they went to separate churches. The author paints a vivid picture of the blacks living in a ghetto

Would you continue to participate in an annual event that could cost the life of a loved one or your own even if it possibly meant a better life for you and your family? When you think of a lottery is it generally in a positive aspect of winning a prize? Was that the case here? Did those who did not have their name drawn win another year of life only to be tortured by having to revisit this ritual again and again on an annual basis? This paper will attempt to inspect that symbolism, irony and situational setting to give a better understanding and insight into the mind of the author.