Sep 29, · “The Lottery” Literary Analysis Analytical Essay September 29, by Essay Writer The short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson reveals the underlying many evils committed by mankind. It should be noted that, this story takes place in a remote village setting, where the people are dominated by traditional cultures and practices Sep 23, · In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” she uses imagery, irony, symbolism, and allegory to reveal her perspective on the themes of tradition and violence. “The Lottery” uses the stack of rocks to symbolize the tradition and the ways of the town. The rocks were the way of killing the person that was selected by that black box and the black markings Jul 21, · We will write a custom Essay on “The Lottery” Literary Analysis specifically for you. for only $ $11/page. certified writers online. Learn More. Basically, ‘lottery’ in this story is a yearly occasion in which an individual in the town is chosen at random to be stoned by hi/her allies and family members
Literary Analysis of "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson
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. 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, literary analysis essay on the lottery, picking the most beautiful and round ones. This type of warning at the beginning of the story is foreshadowing. Summers, a man, literary analysis essay on the lottery, 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. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her. They showed no sympathy for her. One of the most important themes in The Lottery is the family theme. 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 literary analysis essay on the lottery 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, literary analysis essay on the lottery. 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. 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 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. The black box in the story symbolizes an outdated ritual. Over the years, the rules remained the same with some minor changes. 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. Literary analysis essay on the lottery, if the majority wants to do something, it does not automatically make it right. Third, Shirley Jackson criticizes literary analysis essay on the lottery 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. 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, literary analysis essay on the lottery, 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.
Regardless of the current progress, society remains cruel. Sexual and ethnic minorities are frequently blamed for all societal problems. We can connect it with the tradition of blaming the weak for the issues as they do not have a voice. 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 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 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. This essay on Literary analysis essay on the lottery Lottery by Shirley Literary analysis essay on the lottery 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, literary analysis essay on the lottery. Now more than ever, people should fight mob mentality, injustice, scapegoating, and reject outdated tradition. You can start your essay on The Lottery by telling your audience about the writer, her life, and her works. Talk about the literary analysis essay on the lottery response the work got, literary analysis essay on the lottery. If you decide to go a different route, you can select a literary analysis essay on the lottery tradition and talk about its origins.
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.
The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson (Analysis \u0026 Interpretation)
, time: 11:07“The Lottery” Literary Analysis Analytical Essay - blogger.com
Apr 14, · american best essay and literary analysis essays on the lottery Essay about life liberty and the pursuit of happiness Conclusion essay for global warming Master biochemistry coursework antioxidant leaf thesis 18 August The Lottery: Literary Analysis The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a story that highlights the qualities of a society, created by the author, that tip the scale between right and wrong. The beginning of the story appeared to be harmless and innocent given the title and the enlightening introduction Sep 23, · In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” she uses imagery, irony, symbolism, and allegory to reveal her perspective on the themes of tradition and violence. “The Lottery” uses the stack of rocks to symbolize the tradition and the ways of the town. The rocks were the way of killing the person that was selected by that black box and the black markings
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