Category: The Lottery

The Veldt/The Lottery

The Veld and The Lottery are two different pieces of literature that differ in terms of genre, topics, authors, characters, etc. However, both stories have hidden meanings, essential themes, and certain symbols that drive the reader to reflect upon them. None of the pieces have a regular happy ending, which adds a layer of complexity and originality. Both The Veldt and The Lottery are stories that dive deep into the topic of human nature, traditionalism vs. modernization, and the notion of family that can have various meanings and aspects. Furthermore, The Veldt and The Lottery challenge the reader to reflect upon topics such as traditions, modern technology, family, and humanity.

The Lottery

The Lottery is Shirley Jacksons short story that was published in 1948. It is considered one of the most popular short stories, but there were many controversies regarding the subjects and topics it touches upon. It is set in a small American town that follows a ritual called the lottery. Each family participates, and based on the lottery results, one person ends up being stoned to death. This time, Tessie Hutchinson ended up being executed by the whole village in the name of the annual sacrifice.

The Main Themes

The Lottery touches upon many themes that subsequently relate to the overall meaning of the story. A crucial one is the contrasting harmony and violence that is portrayed by the writer. The action takes place in a quiet small town with beautiful flowers and children having fun (Jackson 1). This calmness and peaceful atmosphere give the reader, who does not expect the violent events that are going to happen, a sense of safety. The children were not just playing but collecting rocks that will then be used to stone a person to death. When the realization comes, the whole peaceful setting becomes irrelevant.

Tradition is the other theme that characterizes the story. The lottery is nothing but a tradition that is most advocated by the oldest person in the town. He suggests that without this ceremonial sacrifice, the town will suffer (Jackson 4). While some people know about other villages that do not follow the ritual anymore, no one is ready to get rid of the barbaric sacrifice that does not have any meaning to it. None of the participants are safe from being unlucky in the lottery, but no one is willing to protest against it. This suggests how powerful and stagnant some old values and traditions can be.

Gender roles hold significant importance in The Lottery. The main idea of the tradition is the heads of the families drawing the first pieces of paper from the box. When the man is not present at the ceremony, the older sons and the wife are next in the hierarchy. Bill Hutchinson, the father of the family, ends up jeopardizing his wife by drawing the marked piece of paper in the first round. While Tessie Hutchinson appears to be much more outspoken than her husband, she is not considered the head of the family.

Insights and Understanding

The Lottery was widely criticized for some of the topics portrayed by Jackson. The whole idea of human sacrifice being committed in present times was hard to swallow for many readers. The other problematic aspect was the feministic undertone of the story. Tessie Hutchinson, the main character, is the most outspoken participant in the lottery. The fact that she ends up being stoned to death suggests the incompatibility of feminism and traditional values. A strong woman is not a suitable fit for a patriarchal society, so the lottery has a bad outcome for her. The lottery symbolizes old traditions and values that are blindly followed, and there is no place for uniqueness or female individuality within this system.

Value

Literature that touches upon topics such as feminism, patriarchy, traditional values, and flowed systems holds value in terms of progress and innovation. The story was published in 1948, a time that was not necessarily linked to womens emancipation. Jackson portrays a strong female that does not fit into the grand scheme of things, and fate ultimately kills her. The writers protest against old-school values and traditions is the most valuable thing about The Lottery and its legacy.

The Veldt

The Veldt is Ray Bradburys short story that was first published in 1950. In the story, a family deals with issues related to communication, understanding, and support. The Hadleys live in a technologically advanced home, and there is a room called the nursery, which provides virtual reality experiences for the children. The parents (George and Lydia) are concerned with their kids fantasies after encountering aggressive lions in the nursery (Bradbury 4). After the parents punish Peter and Wendy, the kids lock them inside the nursery with the animals, which causes their death.

The Main Themes

Consumerism and technological advancement are recurring themes throughout the authors stories and novels, and The Veldt is no exception. The parents are almost useless as the house does everything for them, including entertaining, educating, and taking care of the children. In this reality, people are entirely reliant on technology for everything, which has a negative impact on their families. Since George and Lydia Hadley make no effort to spend time and engrain specific values into their kids, the children end up choosing technology. The nursery is more important to them because it seems more real than their own family.

Family values are distorted in Bradburys story. It is mentioned that the Hadleys are wholly reliant on the house for specific tasks, including taking care of the children. Peter and Wendy Hadley do not view the parents as valuable assets that improve their livelihood. Their values are twisted, preferring virtual reality to their mother and father. This is suggested by the fact that their final choice is to remain happy and contempt in the nursery after sacrificing the parents who are threatening to get rid of the source of their happiness.

Insights and Understanding

The Veldt is the authors critique of the technology that replaces common human interactions and family values. This is contemplation upon possible future advancements that may interact with people on an emotional level, leaving them soulless and empty. The children in The Veldt portray the future generation that may be more advanced in terms of technology but primal when it comes to sentiments and emotions. While the parents seem to correlate with an older generation that can still objectively assess the danger of virtual reality, kids are drawn to modernization. This causes them to forget specific values that they have not even been taught due to lack of parental involvement.

Value

Literature that touches upon themes such as consumerist and possible dangers of modernization allows the reader to reflect on these topics. The value of such stories lies in the predisposed excitement in the face of technological advancement. However, there is a negative connotation that correlates with the new system. The author highlights that future can be connected to a sense of emptiness and lack of moral boundaries caused by overstimulation and isolation from human interaction. Such topics of discussion are valuable because they allow for a contrary point of view that differs from common beliefs.

Comparison

Both stories have a revolutionary subtext that is suggesting by the endings. Bu mentions that comparative reading gives a better understanding of the topic. By comparing the stories, it is certain that there are differences and similarities between the two. While Jackson argues that traditional values are outdated and, perhaps, dangerous, Bradbury views modernization as a path to moral and ethical degradation. Both authors use symbolism as a subtle way to influence the readers into contemplating upon the premises of the literature. Jacksons black box symbolizes traditions that are useless in the modern world, and Bradburys nursery is a symbol of new parental care that does not actually involve parents.

The short stories both have tragic endings that reflect the authors points of view regarding traditionalism and modernization. In one instance, the only glimpse of hope, Tessie Hutchinson, ends up being sacrificed in the name of ancient values. On the other hand, George and Lydia Hadley are sacrificed by their children in the name of new values and a future where human life is less valuable than technology.

Conclusion

The Veldt and The Lottery are two seemingly different stories that feature opposite topics. However, both are challenging something that damages society and makes it heartless and soulless. Jackson is a supporter of new principles that would replace the old and unnecessary ones. However, Bradbury takes the role of the devils advocate, portraying the dangers that humanity is to endure if technology takes the place of fundamental human relationships and family values. Nevertheless, both The Veldt and The Lottery make the reader reflect on greater themes such as traditionalism, modernism, human nature, and family.

Works Cited

Bradbury, Ray. The Veldt. Simon & Schuster, 2012.

Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2005.

How Books Can Open Your Mind. YouTube, uploaded by TED. 2013. Web.

The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, focuses on traditions throughout the story. The storys overarching subject is conveyed through the employment of fiction elements such as setting, verisimilitude, and point of view. The writing is persuasive and compels the reader to go over it again and again. The narrative tries to educate readers that all customs, regardless of whether they are included, are not always righteous.

The third person tells the story to offer the viewer the finest comprehension. The storyteller was not a resident of the community who had to go through the Lotterys rites. Obviously, the story was given from an omniscient perspective because the speaker was well-informed about everyone &Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town&. (Shirley, 2014, p. 137). The listener gains a clear picture of the locals and their strange traditions by providing this perspective throughout the play. If the narrative were presented from the perspective of one of the villagers, it would appear to be more biased and less detailed than it is. This point of view explains the Lotterys tradition in great detail, including how the Lottery should be prepared and the rituals involved.

The backdrop and characters depict average, everyday people gathered in the town square for an event. At the beginning of the story, there is nothing extraordinary about this day or the happenings of the day. A toddler playing with stones is not unusual, yet it may raise questions in the minds of the readers about the nature of this Lottery. The audience gets a strong sense that something horrible is going to happen as the story progresses with the Lotterys background, setup, and name-calling. The truth does not sink in until all of the men glance at their pieces of paper, and Tessie Hutchinson begins frantically shrieking. The sorrow and desperation allow the readers to empathize with Tessie and imagine themselves in her situation. This is why, while Tessies family members are stoning her to death, the audience may get disgusted with the townsfolk and the storys whole theme. The truth is that no one wants to be connected with a species that is willing to kill a friend or family member every year just because tradition dictates it.

In order to offer the reader a better comprehension of the story, the environment is described in great detail. The quote The morning of June 27th& informs the audience of the Lotterys time and date (Shirley, 2014, p. 136). The time range for the Lottery is also revealed in the story. The narrative also provides the Lotterys time frame: &so it may start at ten oclock in the morning& allow the locals to return home in time for lunch (Shirley, 2014, p. 137). It illustrates the day to be a beautiful and pleasant day, giving the readers the idea of a peaceful setting. With the information about the setting earlier on, it is almost as if the speaker wanted the audience to assume this was going to be a peaceful story with a happy conclusion. The events of the day are as familiar to the residents of this town as any other: The lottery was held  as were the square dances, the teenage club, and the Halloween program&

The reasonableness of the events in this story demonstrates how this irrational custom has conditioned the villagers. Traditions from any group of people or religion can appear odd or illogical to others who are unfamiliar with them, but just because something is different from how one group does things does not imply it is wrong. Shirley Jacksons goal with this narrative may have been to test what kind of reaction it would get from the general public. The purpose of the story is not how an entire village stoned one person to death but how one custom binds the community together and keeps them connected to the only thing they know: their past. The reader can choose whether or not tradition is a positive or bad subject. The power to choose the true meaning of the story is what actually distinguishes it.

Reference

Shirley, J. (2014). The Lottery. In E. V. Roberts & R. Zweig (Eds.), Literature: An introduction to reading and writing, compact edition (6^th ed.). (136-137). Pearson College Division.

Conformity and rebellion are the controversial social issues that make people think about their roles and possibilities in regards to the circumstances they have to live under. It is not an easy task to create a good story about conformity and rebellion as the reader expects a lot from such work: positive social foundation, a direct message, several realistic characters for comparison, and the emotions that can prove that the chosen story is worthwhile.

Shirley Jackson introduces her own vision of society and the rules, which people prefer to follow. The Lottery introduces a small town with its citizens, who have nothing to do but to live according to the norms they have already set, confirm the expectations, and neglect the ideas of rebellion as they just do not have a right on it. In spite of the fact that the main prize of the lottery is death, the citizens continue believing in the power of the order and the necessity to organize the same event annually.

Though Jacksons work is regarded as a cruel story with unrealistic characters, events, and an unexpected end that changes the understanding of human relations in society, The Lottery remains to be a powerful and educative short story and an exemplary literary piece of work about conformity and rebellion as it has a clear message to the reader, causes a number of different emotions, and makes the reader think about human morals, ethics, and duties that have to be fulfilled anyway.

The relationship between an individual and society is hard to establish properly as certain sacrifices and some explanations may be needed, and many actions cannot be avoided, and Jackson creates a good message for the reader on how to develop this kind of relations.

Jacksons Lottery has a clear message  society may be created in accordance with peoples demands, still, people should be ready to neglect some aspects of their lives to achieve the necessary results. Though some readers are not able to understand this particular message in the story due to its abrupt and rather cruel end, still, it is wrong to deny the fact that the author leaves a message and pays a certain attention to it.

Another aspect of a powerful literary work is the ability to cause readers emotions, and The Lottery is one of the short stories that may cause a number of various emotions at the same time. People have to follow their traditions, respect the cultural norms they choose and treat each event as something inevitable and indestructible.

The story tells that all citizens show the same attitude to the lottery as children assembled first& stuffed& pockets full of stones& the men began to gather, surveying their own children& the women& greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip (Jackson 1). It seems to be the usual description of ordinary life. However, in the end, when the reader gets to know that the main prize of the event is to be stoned to death, the emotions appear immediately.

On the one hand, it is impossible to believe that the interests of society are above the interests or even the life of one individual. On the other hand, such an explanation of the lottery is powerful evidence of a good story about conformity as people do not have a chance to choose but step in the already prescribed future.

Finally, Jacksons story makes the reader think about the necessity to be a considerable part of society and accept all the challenges required.

Though it is not easy, and sometimes unacceptable, to believe that parents are ready to stone their children just to meet the demands of the village, the story proves its goals and makes the reader evaluate, compare, and analyze different situations thrown about the story like when Mr. Summers told about the necessity of making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box (Jackson 1) or when a saying lottery in June, corn be heavy soon (Jackson 4) was mentioned.

However, peoples attitudes to the event, inabilities to rebel the already set traditions, and unwillingness to fight for their own lives weaken the story. As a rule, literary works should teach the reader to be better, stronger, and ready for any kind of challenge, spread positive messages, and explain that good thoughts and actions must prevail over the bad ones.

It is hard to believe that death may be the only possible solution. Still, the presence of the above-mentioned factors and a general impact of the story show that Jackson succeeds in her intentions to describe the idea of conformity and rebellion neglect using unexpected still very powerful ideas and examples.

In general, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a good literary example of how people set rules and follow them neglecting personal demands and ideas. It does not actually matter what readers may think about the story, its plot, the reality of its characters, or the quality of the messages. They still think, use their emotions, and learn the authors message. And this is what makes good literature that excites, teaches, and inspires people from different parts of the world anytime.

Work Cited

Jackson, S. The Lottery. 2015. Web.

The Lottery is a short story by Shirley Jackson about the impact of social conventions on real life. The story uses a utopian plot, in which in a country where people are constantly at war state, there is a tradition to hold a mysterious lottery every year. At the end of the story, it is revealed that the point of the lottery is to select a victim among the community members and collectively stone her to death. This paper argues that the story clearly illustrates the absurdity of myths or traditions, which do not pass the test of common sense.

Summary

The story describes a festive summer day, when fellow villagers gather to hold a lottery, as a result of which one of them will be stoned to death. The absurdity of the situation is aggravated by the fact that no one from the community condemns what is happening. On the contrary, the lottery is perceived by the villagers as something mystical and filled with a higher meaning. Some of the participants recall the unique cases when all the sheets in the box turned out to be white and say that this happened only once in a hundred years, and after that, the authorities came and forced the villagers to hold the lottery a second time.

Among the hundreds of people gathered, including women and children dressed nicely, as if for a Sunday mass, one can hear no more than a dozen timid disgruntled voices condemning the tradition. But in general, no one runs the risk of violating the ritual, which has existed for about two hundred years. After a random selection chooses the family of Bill Hutchinson, residents watch with bated breath how the lottery is now being played among family members, including Dave, who is apparently less than seven years old. The lot falls on Tessie, the wife, and the crowd does their duty responsibly, surrounding her and stoning her to death.

Analysis

The author skillfully uses details to convey the horror of the situation. Outrage at the absurdity of tradition is expressed by fools, in muffled whispers, and at the risk of being expelled from the community. The children have been collecting stones all morning, which are neatly stacked next to the meeting. On the eve of the lottery day, the lottery man responsibly fills the Black Box, and equally responsibly puts a circle on one of the sheets. From the dialogues between senior men, the reader learns that the tradition is in every possible way supported by the ruling military dictatorship.

One of the most emotional elements of the plot is the ending of the story when a blind lot must choose between members of the family of Bill Hutchinson. Even more terrifying, when the lot falls on Tessie, the reader is left with the feeling that things didnt turn out so badly. The choice could fall on Bill, which would deprive the family of a livelihood, or on one of the children, which would be excessive cruelty. It is noteworthy that in the course of the narration, the author points out that some families got into the lottery several times. Therefore, Tessies death in no way provides full protection for her family in the future.

Thus, the lottery village has a value system that is in conflict with civilized society. The tradition of the lottery is cruel and unjustified, but because it is supported by the succession of generations, it continues. The lottery is not the idea of a military dictatorship ruling the country, it was introduced a hundred years earlier, and the regime found this tradition useful. Such a tradition conflicts with the fundamental values of a civilized society. Despite this, unfortunately, even today, events such as the storming of the Capitol or mass executions of civilians due to free access to weapons demonstrate the absurdity and unacceptability of some established traditions.

The lottery is a short story that revolves around life in an agricultural village, whose setting is in summer; when flowers are blossoming and lawns exceedingly green. The village is composed of a population of about three hundred people, who know each other very well. The men are generally farmers, while the women are homemakers and school teachers.

The build up to the lottery draw, keeps the reader in suspense as to who is going to win the prize that is expected to be material in nature, but sadly enough turns out to be a death sentence; which begs the question as to why one would subscribe to such a lottery in the first place.

There is plenty of irony in the literature, that is observed where Bill Hutchinson, who won the lottery in the first round; by picking the paper with the black spot, is adjudged by his wife not to be the true winner, because of technical reasons. What is strikingly odd is that his wife Tessie, purports that Mr. Summers did not give her husband enough time to pick a paper of his choice, yet the whole village asserts that everyone was given the same amount of time, to pick a piece of paper from the box.

One wonders why a second draw should be made, to pick another winner yet a winner had been expressly identified. This is a deviation from the normal rules of a conventional lottery. The sentiments are echoed by old man Warner who intimates that, Its not the way it used to be (Jackson 19).

Evidently, the annual lottery conducted by the village is not a typical lottery in the sense that, the person running the lottery is also a participant.

Mr. Summers and his assistant Mr. Graves, take part in the ill fated lottery too. Additionally, Mr. Summers is charged with the responsibility of preparing the lottery materials, giving him the opportunity for foul play, by carefully engineering a ploy to avert picking the condemned lottery ticket; since all the materials are kept under his care at the coal factory, a yearly routine he engages in.

There is some bit of satire in the literature, where we see the names of certain characters, coinciding with the events that are unfolding in the village. For instance, Mr. Summers name; who is the organizer of the lottery, coincides with the period that the aforesaid event is supposed to take place.

Furthermore, the annual event takes place on June 27^th of every year, during summer time. Furthermore, his assistants name, Mr. Graves, coincides with the penultimate outcome of the lottery; the stoning of the winner, who in this case is Mrs. Hutchinson.

Due protocol was not followed in the second draw of the lottery, where Bill Hutchinson unfolded his lottery ticket, before his name was called out.

Ordinarily, one ought to unfold his or her lottery ticket, after the calling out of names by Mr. Summers. In the first draw, Bill was overly cautious when unfolding his ticket because he did not know the contents of the paper, but we can see clearly that he was beaming with confidence when unfolding his lottery ticket in the second draw; showing that he knew his fate with regard to the second draw.

This is clearly evidenced by his snatching of the lottery ticket from his condemned wife, Tessie. We can see from the first draw that Tessie is quite empathetic to Bill when he picks the winning ticket , and tries to defend her husband, by claiming that the process was not fair to him; because he wasnt given ample time to pick a ticket of his choice. What is strange about this is that when Tessie gets into the same predicament, her husband does not come to her defense.

Seemingly, the village chooses to give the other rituals of the black box a wide berth; like the recital and the ritual salute, but is never oblivious of the grotesque act, of stoning the winner of the lottery to death. This goes to show that people are not interested in the credibility of the lottery process, but are solely interested in the aftermath of the entire process. The original paraphernalia of the lottery had been lost long ago (Jackson 7).

The lottery ritual had been stopped in other towns, which have a very large population; where people could take up to two days to conduct the lottery, yet this village with a marginal population, chooses to adhere to this yearly ritual that robs them of a member every year. Conventional wisdom would dictate that, a town with a small population quit this ritual before the one with a big population, because the population of the former has closer personal relations that the latter.

The oldest man in the village, Mr. Warner, has participated in the lottery on seventy seven occasions, but has never been unlucky enough to win the lottery (Murphy 105). Mathematically speaking, men start participating in the lottery at the age of sixteen, so if we do some bit of arithmetic; old Warner is ninety three years old. Why would one want to stone a ninety three year old man to death, yet he is in his sunset years and can die at any time?

Mrs. Delacroix, who is the first person Mrs. Hutchinson greets when she joins the villagers, is the one who picks the largest stone to kill her; yet they appear to be close friends in their earlier interaction (Bloom 27). One is left wondering, whether the farewell tap that Mrs. Hutchinson gave Mrs. Delacroix was a final one.

It is also questionable as to whether Mrs. Hutchinson had an intuition that something would go wrong, since she was the last person to join the crowd, and she was the one who won the condemned prize. Given that her intuition was right, she ought to have had second thoughts about taking part in the lottery.

In all odds, the villagers do not seem to be disturbed by what they do; they want the process to be hastened, so that they can complete their barbaric and sadistic mission, in time to have their noon dinner. To them, it is normal for one of their own to die after the lottery, for it to be successful. The title of the book itself is ironical, in the sense that; one expects that the winner will be given a reward in material terms, but what is observed in the end is worth being called a death game.

The lottery is a captivating short story, which elicits a lot of feelings of suspense to the reader. It starts with a very flowery description of a village and its residents, but ends tragically with the death of Mrs. Hutchinson; a village member with a very magnetic personality. The death is as a result of inhuman acts of the village members, who don not show any remorse for their misconduct.

This narrative makes one wonder where this kind of ritual originated from, and why the villagers still adhere to it; yet it is clear that everybody fears winning. Every village member is tense when unfolding a lottery ticket; as we see when Mr. Hutchinson, wins the first round of the lottery. All in all, it is a thoughtfully written piece of literature, which is academically invoking in all aspects.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold. Comprehensive Research and Study Guide: Blooms Major, Short Story Writers. Broomall: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001. Print.

Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. Mankato: Creative Education, 2008. Print.

Murphy, M., Bernice. Shirley Jacksons Essays on the Literary Legacy. Jefferson: McFarland and Company, 2005. Print.

Check out this essay sample to get more ideas for your The Lottery analysis essay. Here, youll find the storys summary, main theme analysis, and the aftermath explanation. Learn more about the story with our The Lottery essay examples help!

Shirley Jackson wrote several short stories, but she is broadly remembered because of her short story The Lottery. This story is considered one of the best American short stories of the 20th century. It centers around several themes, such as the role of traditions, parenting, and scapegoating.

The Lotterys Plot

The story starts with a very peaceful description, 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 villagers are gathering to participate in an annual lottery, which will take about 2 hours. It starts around 10 in the morning, with the participants going back to their homes for lunch at around noon.

Despite this initial scene, The Lottery is a horror story. This type of setting is very unusual for this genre. In the second paragraph, the readers learn that the children are the first ones to assemble at the square. The boys are stuffing their pockets with stones, picking the most beautiful and round ones. This type of warning at the beginning of the story is foreshadowing.

Mr. Summers, a man, who represents authority in the short story, carries out a black wooden box. He stirs up the papers inside of it. The black box is ancient, meaning that this lottery tradition continued for a very long time. Until this moment in the story, there is no real indication of what is about to happen. The reader does not know what prize people will be able to win.

Until the lottery starts and everyone takes its turn. A boy from the Hutchinson family draws, and the readers realize that the lottery is not about winning. The head of the family tries to argue with Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves when he gets the results.

The next step in the lottery is a ritual. Every family member of the selected household has to draw a lottery ticket personally. The one who gets a paper with a black dot on it will have to be stoned to death. A wife and a mother, Tessie Hutchinson, is the one who gets the paper with the black dot. At that moment, she starts saying that it is not just. However, it is too late. People already took the stones and started throwing it at her. Even babies have to participate in this ruthless ritual. The story ends with the words, Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her. Even her husband and kids became her executioners. They showed no sympathy for her.

Family Theme

One of the most important themes in The Lottery is the family theme. Tessie Hutchinsons family members did not demonstrate any loyalty to her, which was gruesome. When Nancy and Bill, her kids, opened their papers, they felt relieved as both beamed and laughed. They knew that one of their parents was about to draw the unfortunate ticket and be stoned to death. This attitude shows that in situations like this, an individual cares only about self-preservation. In The Lottery, families do not have an emotional bond, only a social one.

There is another critical aspect of the family theme. It is how gender operates within the community and a family unit. The father is the one who initially draws the slip. This fact shows that men are superior to women in this society.

It is peculiar to see that Tessie Hutchinson is a female character that speaks the most in the story. Nevertheless, she is the one who will be killed by society and her family.

As the readers see in the story, the parents incentivize violence from a very early age. They do not teach kids to rely on their understanding of right and wrong. Children are encouraged to follow traditions blindly. It symbolizes indoctrination and brainwashing that happens even in the modern world.

The Role of Traditions

Another vital issue that Shirley Jackson raised in The Lottery was the role of tradition. A man called Old Man Warner is a conservative force in the story. He explains what the lottery was initially meant for, Used to be a saying about Lottery in June, corn will be heavy soon. Basically, he is talking about a connection between the corn and the lottery. He implies that human sacrifice will better crop growth. The reason why the current generation does it is that they want to follow the tradition. They do it because they always have been doing it. It is also backed up by the authorities. They make sure it happens every year on the same date.

Shirley Jackson shows what can happen if people will do things without examining them.

The black box in the story symbolizes an outdated ritual. Over the years, the rules remained the same with some minor changes.

There are several significant undertones in Shirley Jacksons critique of the behavior she described. First, is that people should stand up against authority if something is not just. Society should be able to protest to challenge an outdated status quo. Second, in the story, Shirley Jackson criticized democracy. As we see, everyone in the story is happy about the lottery. Even Tessie Hutchinson does not oppose it before it turns against her. So, if the majority wants to do something, it does not automatically make it right. Third, Shirley Jackson criticizes small-town life. She moved to Vermont, the villagers there never accepted her. She expresses that evil can happen even in small, peacefully looking places. Not to repeat the mistakes of Nazis, people should carefully examine their actions.

Discrimination Theme

Shirley Jacksons story is very applicable to American society. There are many ways in which this short story could be interpreted in todays world. Mainly because it has an open ending.

One of the ways to interpret it is through the theme of discrimination. Turning a blind eye towards those who are suffering is less complicated. It is more challenging to stand up for their rights. People participate in systemic cruelty towards marginalized communities, animals, each other. When it does not personally affect you, people are more likely to ignore it.

If the readers take the example of Tessie Hutchinson, they will understand one thing clearly. She could protest against the cruelty of the tradition, only when it affected her.

The readers do not see hundreds of those who were stoned before her. There will probably be more people stoned in the future. The villagers are not ready to revisit this ritual and give up on it. Even though the society portrayed in the story is dystopian, there are some similarities with todays world.

Regardless of the current progress, society remains cruel. Sexual and ethnic minorities are frequently blamed for all societal problems. The phenomenon of scapegoating is rooted deeply in peoples minds. We can connect it with the tradition of blaming the weak for the issues as they do not have a voice.

The mass incarceration of African Americans, profiling, and hate crimes against Muslims after 9/11, mass deportation of immigrants in the United States are all The Lottery modern examples of scapegoating and discrimination. The fact that the story appeared after the Nazis were defeated is also essential. This was a historical example of following the authority unquestionably. Even after it, people are not willing to change. Americans can still show indifference to those affected by violence and unjust treatment. The idyllic setting proves that cruelty can happen anywhere at any given moment in history.

As a society, misfortune is treated as a casual thing. It is very similar to the way the villagers treat the lottery. They simply go ahead with their lives after murdering a person.

The Lotterys Aftermath

The aftermath of The Lottery proves that the story has a lot of similarities with our society. People received it with a lot of criticism as well as praise. Some individuals were wondering if the lottery existed.

The author received letters from the readers after the short story was published in The New Yorker in 1948. Many of them she received that summer were from people who wanted to know if such lotteries existed. They desired to watch them in real life.

The Lottery Analysis Essay Conclusion

This essay on The Lottery by Shirley Jackson aimed to provide a close look at it. We explored some of the central themes and symbols of this story. Nevertheless, there are many more aspects that one can decide to focus on. Undeniably, the short story written by Shirley Jackson is still relevant 70 years later. Now more than ever, people should fight mob mentality, injustice, scapegoating, and reject outdated tradition.

References

1. Shirley Jacksons American Gothic by Hattenhauer, Darryl. State University of New York Press, 2003. Print.
2. The Lottery by Jackson, Shirley. Mankato: Creative Education, 2008. Print.
3. Shirley Jackson: Essays on the Literary Legacy by Murphy, Bernice. Jefferson: McFarland & Company Publishers. Print.

FAQ

How to start an essay on The Lottery by Shirley Jackson?

You can start your essay on The Lottery by telling your audience about the writer, her life, and her works. Talk about the initial response the work got. If you decide to go a different route, you can select a popular tradition and talk about its origins.

What is the problem of the story The Lottery?

The central problem in the story is the blind following of outdated traditions and rituals. Most of the villagers did not even remember why the lottery was held. However, they proceeded with this practice. People are more likely to ignore violence when it is turned against others.

Why was The Lottery banned?

The Union of South Africa banned this story because it seems to be an anti-apartheid story. There is nothing more cruel and unreasonable than discrimination based on the color of skin. The fact that South Africa banned it means that the story has a realistic reflection of this injustice.

What is the original purpose of The Lottery?

The original purpose of the lottery was forgotten. One of the oldest citizens Old Man Warner said that there was a saying, Used to be a saying about Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon. It implies that people were sacrificed to better the harvest of corn.

How does The Lottery relate to society?

A lot of traditions are passed from generation to generation without any examination. Even in todays society, people have problems with questioning authority and protesting. The fact that something has been done for many years and by many people does not make it automatically right.

Why does Tessie think The Lottery is unfair?

Tessie thinks that the lottery is unfair only because she is the one with the black dot on the ticket. She does not want to die and to be stoned. Therefore Tessie realizes that this ritual is unfair and unjust. She did not oppose it before it turned against her.

For the success of the writers intention, a number of literary devices play a decisive role. One of those devices is the narrative point of view, a term used to define the perspective, or the point from which the narrator of the literary piece views everything that takes place in the narration (Griffith 37). The choice of point of view creates the necessary closeness or distance to the characters and the situation and thus promotes or discourages the readers involvement in or estrangement from the events described in the narration. In Shirley Jacksons short story The Lottery, the author chooses a third-person objective point of view to create an atmosphere of suspense and mystery, and additionally employs the means of characterization, detail concealing, and tone in rendering the point of view chosen.

The choice of third-person objective point of view by Shirley Jackson may be justified by the purpose of distancing the reader from the characters to diminish the emotional impact of the story while it is developing, so that the ending appears the more shocking after the emotionally neutral narration. As compared to the third-person omniscient point of view, third-person objective (or dramatic) point of view allows for the knowledge of places, times, and events but lacks insight into the thoughts and feelings of the characters (Griffith 38).

In The Lottery, the narrator accurately reports the place and time of the traditional event, The morning of June 27th, [&] in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten oclock& (Jackson 120). The outward sequence of actions and the contents of conversations between the characters is also rendered precisely enough: children come first and speak of school; men follow them and talk of business; and women arrive as last and exchange the village gossip (Jackson 120121). The whole process of preparation for the lottery is described meticulously, including the making of the lists, the marking of the paper slips, and the setting of the black lottery box (Jackson 121122, 125).

However, in this detailed account of events, there is no sign of involvement with the personalities of the villagers. The narration appears to be indifferent like a news report and shows no sign of compassion or sympathy with the villagers feelings, thoughts, or interests. Only the outward signs of some emotional involvement are reported by the narrator in phrases like a sudden hush fell on the crowd, they grinned at one another humorlessly and nervously, she [&]greeted Mr. Summers gravely, turning them over and over nervously (Jackson 122123).

The general negative meaning of the words used to describe the behavior of the villagers only prompts to a careful reader that the people are not too happy to be taking part in the lottery. Such emotional scarceness and sullenness sharply contrasts the supposedly festive occasion of the lottery and arouses suspense that things are not as calm and ordinary as they are described.

Apart from the neutral and objective approach to describing characters, Shirley Jackson employs the method of concealing details for further enhancing the suspense in the story. On the one hand, she pays a lot of attention to describing the procedure of gathering stones before the lottery:

Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix  the villagers pronounced this name Dellacroy  eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys. (Jackson 120121)

The shape of the stones and their organization are thoroughly discussed by the narrator in the very beginning of the story. Additional attention is attracted to the stones by highlighting one of the boys misbehavior: Bobby Martin ducked under his mothers grasping hand and ran, laughing, back to the pile of stones (Jackson 121). However, no explanation is provided as to why the boys should be gathering stones, arranging them so carefully and, moreover, even guarding their stone piles from the others. Another significant detail that lacks explanation is the purpose of the lottery itself.

The narrator involves into a highly detailed description of the preparation and drawing stages of the lottery, but still keeps the reader unaware of the final prize that awaits the winner. Such delaying of the truth facilitates the impact of the story dénouement which comes like a bolt from the blue for the reader. The only hints of the unpleasant nature of the prize that are scattered throughout the story may be found in the attitude of the villagers who see the lottery rather as an unpleasant but necessary chore that should be traditionally dealt with, and the sooner the better: & guess we better get started, get this over with, sos we can go back to work (Jackson 122). But even with these hints, the details are not sufficient for the reader to reveal the truth too soon.

In addition to impersonal character description and concealing significant details, the point of view in The Lottery is maintained through the neutral and objective tone. A significant part of point of view, the tone is the attitude of the narrator to the events, characters, and ideas related in the story (Griffith 39). Similar to the way characters are ignored as personalities and events are missing key details, the tone in Shirley Jacksons story is kept impersonal. There is no criticism, irony, curiosity, sympathy or assessment observed in the way the narrator presents the events of the lottery.

The reader is allowed to develop any possible attitude to the story told by the narrator. Not emotions but mere facts are reported in an objective, chronicle-like way that reminds more of news items than of an emotionally involved tale. Such approach allows the narrator to maintain a distance from the events occurring in the story and thus to remain not implicated in the drama that takes place in the village. In a certain sense, this emotional dissociation of the narrator reminds of the villagers attitude to their victim. They hit her with stones cold-bloodedly, as if performing an old ritual but not emotionally involving in it.

The success of Shirley Jacksons short story The Lottery is by large secured through her choice of third-person objective point of view. The detailed account of events without emotional involvement in the feelings of the villagers produces a tremendous effect on the readers who remain breath taken at the appalling cruelty of the situation. Absence of personal characterization, concealing significant details, and maintaining a detached tone help the writer keep the point of view that makes the readers thrill in suspense.

Works Cited

Griffith, Kelley. Writing Essays about Literature: A Guide and Style Sheet. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006. Print.

Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 4th compact ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2008. 120125. Print.

The story was published in 1948 in The New Yorker. The population was still trying to recover from World War II, 1939-1945. The name The Lottery tricks readers who expect a story about a happy winner. The audience was not yet ready for new manifestations of inhumanity, and the publication caused many criticism. Nevertheless, the story, exploring the boundaries of human cruelty can be seen as an attempt to analyze what happened during the war, particularly the Holocaust.

1. Tone and Word Choice

   1. Tone: Calm and Detached
   2. Beginning of the story:

• Lottery
• clear and sunny
• abundantly blooming
• dense green
• people of the village

As the plot progresses:

• nervous
• breathless pause
• the crowd of villagers

1. Symbols

   1. Lottery. Hiding cruelty behind outdated traditions.
   2. Black box. Relic that connects present and past.
   3. Stones. The primitive murder weapon.
   4. Black spot on the paper. The omen of death.
2. Themes

   1. The contrast between peace and cruelty
   2. Traditions and customs
   3. Family and its structure
   4. Human nature
   5. The collective act of violence linked to impunity and lack of personal responsibility
   6. The choice of a certain person (people) for whom cruelty will be directed
   7. Selecting suitable and unsuitable people
   8. Satisfying blood thirst by choosing a method of killing

Shirley Jackson, in the story The Lottery, explores human cruelty. The development of the topic connects the story with World War II events, particularly with Holocaust. The mass murders allow characters to relinquish personal responsibility for their actions, which will enable them to continue the bloody tradition from year to year. At the same time, the author shocks readers using a detached tone, only alluding a little to a cruel denouement.

Reference

Jackson, S. (1948). The lottery. The New Yorker. Web.

How far are people ready to go to uphold a custom? In this essay, the theme of tradition will be analyzed using two stories – “The Lottery” by Jackson (1948) and “The Hunger Games” (Lawrence & Ross, 2012). Both tThe short story and the film present a dystopian world where people are chosen by lottery to die. The stories explore the theme of tradition in their choice of character, setting, and symbol.

The settings in both narratives are similar in many ways – the village in “The Lottery” and District 12’s small town in “The Hunger Games.” Both locations have a designated space for the event. In the short story, the reader sees a detailed description of a village where people gather for the lottery. They laugh, joke, and talk about their chores while children play (Jackson, 1948). In District 12, the crowd’s mood is less optimistic, but they all follow the procedure and do not question it.

Such characters as Old Man Warner and Coriolanus Snow show how ingrained the process is in both universes. In “The Lottery,” Warner enforces the lottery’s supposed importance by saying, “there’s always been a lottery,” and calling those who want to quit the tradition a “pack of young fools” (Jackson, 1948). In the movie, Coriolanus Snow is an direct antagonist and adheringes to the idea of the impossibility of abandoning the games (Lawrence & Ross, 2012). In an effortWhile trying to maintain citizens’ obedience and prevent removal from his position, he intends to preserve the tradition by all means, thereby strengthening his own authority.

The symbols of tradition in the short story and the movie are similar – a black box on a stool and a glass bowl. The lottery uses an old black box , which the villagers are afraid to replace so as not to upset the tradition behind it (Jackson, 1948). In the film, the reaping bowls are a part of the spectacle – they are the same in each district. Therefore, they are also a part of the world that people are scared to challenge.

The movie “The Hunger Games” and the short story “The Lottery” and the film “The Hunger Games” have a strong theme of tradition. Characters in both universes are used to the horrible events and do not challenge them. It is possible that the corresponding customs are gradually accepted in society and begin to be taken for granted as they take root. However, the acute question is whether tradition is a good reason for sacrificing human lives.

The setting for the lottery is casual, and people do not act as if they can change anything. There exist characters that enforce the tradition, even if they have different roles in the events. The symbols represent death for people in both stories, but the latter treat the items with reverence.

References

Jackson, S. (1948). The lottery.The New Yorker. Web.

Lawrence, F., & Ross, G. (2012). The hunger games [Film]. Lionsgate.

Abstract

This paper examines various aspects related to the stories “The Lottery” and “The Destructors” and attempts to examine the similarities and the differences inherent in either story.

Thesis Statement: The lack of detail concerning the reason why Trevor wanted to destroy the house of Mr. Misery or why Tessie was stoned was an intentional facet to let the readers develop their own theories regarding the origin of the actions that were done.

Introduction

When examining both essays, it is immediately apparent that one common theme between the two is the utter senselessness in the actions committed by the character in the stories. For instance, in the story “The Destructors” a group of boys apparently thought it was fine to destroy home on the basis that it would be fun and that it would increase the reputation of the gang.

Such an act does not make a shred of sense; even if it was done for “the fun of it”. The same can be said about the ending of the story “The Lottery” wherein it is implied that the people of the village stone to the death the character of Tessie Hutchinson because she received a piece of paper with a black spot on it.

When examining the reasoning behind either action, the background behind the stories is severely lacking when it comes to creating any sufficient basis. It is the assumption of this paper that in both stories, the lack of detail concerning the reason why Trevor wanted to destroy the house of Mr. Misery or why Tessie was stoned was an intentional facet to let the readers develop their own theories regarding the origin of the actions that were done.

Clarifying the Assumptions of the Paper

It can be seen in both essays that it is up to the reader to imagine why the characters in the story acted the way they did. As a result, this what makes both stories rather enjoyable to read since it makes readers think about the reason behind the actions behind the characters in the story after they have finished reading it (Feldmann, 1982).

It is the “gap” in the stories, so to speak, that sparks the interest of the reader since, unlike a mystery novel that slowly reveals the basis behind the mystery, the series of actions that lead up to the illogical events in either story is not revealed (Evans, 1997). This helps to instill a great deal of curiosity in the reader as they reread events in order to determine why either illogical act in the stories occurred.

How Readers would Interpret the Story

Barring the presence of any relevant information, it is normally the case that a person reading the story would attempt some form of fanciful conjecture in order to fill in the blanks and rectify what they believe is a needed detail. For instance, maybe the reason why the people stoned Tessie Hutchinson to death was that the village used to be overpopulated in the past and this was one way of controlling the population.

It was implied within the story that other villages in the nearby areas had already stopped the practice, which could imply that appropriate methods of population control had already been set (Evans, 1997).

On the other end of the spectrum, maybe the reason why Trevor had wanted to tear down the home of Old Man Misery was that he learned some sort of secret from him.

Mr. Misery could have been a spy from Germany or had willingly sided with the invading forces since it was implied in the story that it occurred in the years after World War 2.

Another possible meaning behind the actions of Trevor could be related to the fact that he had been sexually abused by Mr. Misery and that he was merely far too ashamed to admit it. It is this and other possible factors that help to enhance the story since it presents the question “what if” to the readers.

The difference in Moral Tone

The main difference between the two stories is the implied moral tone that pervades the development of events.

In the case of “The Lottery”, it is not implied until the very end that something truly horrendous was going to happen, however, when it came to “The Destructors” very early on in the story it was already showcased how the various characters would go about and perform a distinctly immoral deed (i.e. tear a man’s house down without permission) (Gorecki, 1985).

While both stories are great examples of the senselessness behind certain actions, the moral implications behind the actions are brought up differently.

For instance, in the case of “The Lottery” most of the townsfolk do not seem to bring up the moral ambiguity of stoning someone to death for no apparent reason. When it came to “The Destructors”, various characters seem to question the morality of destroying the house of Mr. Misery yet do so anyway.

Conclusion

Based on what has been presented, it can be seen that the lack of detail concerning the reason why Trevor wanted to destroy the house of Mr. Misery or why Tessie was stoned was an intentional facet to let the readers develop their theories regarding the origin of the actions that were done.

However, it should be noted that the stories attempting to showcase this particular type of behavior do so in different ways which make them similar in how they make a reader think about the back story of the events yet are different in the way in which they choose to bring about such a method of introspection (Evans, 1997).

Reference List

Evans, R. C. (1997). The lottery. Short Fiction: A Critical Companion, 112-119

Feldmann, H. (1982). The idea of history in Graham Greene’s ‘the destructors’. Studies In Short Fiction, 19(3), 241.

Gorecki, J. J. (1985). Graham Greene’s ‘The Destructors’ and Paradise Lost. Papers On Language & Literature, 21(3), 336.