StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Analysis Of Lottery By Shirley Jackson - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
"The Lottery" is a tale about a village's tradition of stoning an individual annually based on a lucky draw. The paper "Analysis Of Lottery By Shirley Jackson" discusses literary devices such as the importance of the title, setting and tone that Jackson used during the creating the story…
Download free paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.3% of users find it useful
Analysis Of Lottery By Shirley Jackson
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Analysis Of Lottery By Shirley Jackson"

Analysis Of Lottery By Shirley Jackson 1. Introduction The lottery is a tale about a village's tradition of stoning an individual annually based on a lucky draw. Although at times the prose makes the readers cringe at the brutality of the human race and the shackles of customs yet the story is an interesting piece of literature to highlight the various literary devices that amalgamate in order to create a story. Literary devices offer color, uniqueness or dynamism to a work. 2. Analysis The various literary devices that can be easily found in the story The Lottery includes the importance of the title, setting, and tone, thematic concerns and symbolism. 2.1. Title Generally, it is observed that the title of a piece of work provides the readers with some hints regarding the content and the context of the prose. However, in this story, the title gives an ironic twist to the context of the story because the writer's intent is to highlight that the death penalty on the basis of some old customs is not the manner in which civilized and educated human beings should behave. Moreover unlike the other lotteries for which human beings are very eager in this case the lottery is like a curse which yields the power of ending a life of an individual. Hence the title of the story is in contrast to the milieu that the story presents. As Harold Bloom also says that, "in true Shirley Jackson fashion, the suspense is built around the unknown nature of this particular lottery" (24). Hence the title of the story also arouses curiosity in the readers which further adds up to the suspense. 2.2. Setting and Tone The setting of the story is a deceptively tranquil village which does not hint upon the inhabitants’ potential for violence. It is observed that the lottery takes place on a warm summer day where the kids of the town have just got out of school for summer break. The story commences with the sound of happy kids in the background gathering stones to pile around the square for the lottery. The women and men of the town gather around as well, happy and gossiping while they wait for the lottery to begin. The setting of the story is very specific and the readers are presented with every minute detail while the lottery is taking place. Emotions of the villagers are beginning to express some sort of discomfort. Moreover, the duplicity of some of the villager is also revealed before the actual event takes place. So the setting of the story hardly contributes to the central idea but it stimulates the climax greatly. The story is narrated in third person narration which the author uses as a tool to let the readers experience the whole incident as a part of the spectators gathered there. Since the third person narration technique not only stimulates the imagination of the readers but also provides them with an impartial view of the whole spectacle. As the story commences the tone of the text is peaceful same as the tranquil setting describing friendships and depicting healthy relationships of affection, familiarity, and closeness. Although the tone of the story remains the same yet towards the end the text reveals a cruel aspect of human nature. 2.3. Thematic Concern The major themes of the story include the theme of death, theme of conformity and selfish existence. The theme of death in the story highlights that the survival instinct is so strong in human beings that they will go to any lengths in order to survive. As also observed in the case of Tessie who raises a hue and a cry and claims that it is a mistake in order to save herself. As it is mentioned in the text as well that, “she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. ‘It isn't fair,’…‘It isn't fair, it isn't right,’ Mrs. Hutchinson screamed and then they were upon her” (9). The theme of death in the story is also interlinked with the theme of tradition because it is due to the old customs that Tessie is sentenced to being stoned to death. This can also be interpreted as Shirley Jackson’s idea of manhunt. She depicts it under the context of the insensitivity of the ancestors who had started a tradition. A tradition that results in the death of one of the villagers every year as observed in the case of Tessie who is expected to give her life as her name is on the last chit and is going to be stoned to death. Moreover, it also shows the burden on the successors who are brought up in a manner that they are afraid to denounce their traditions as the villagers say, “over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery." Old Man Warner snorted, "Pack of crazy fools… Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.'” (6). This shows that the cultural influence is so strong that they consider it a big sin and hate the people who have let go of the pottery tradition. As D'Ammassa also believes that, “the story is a clear indictment of the pressure of conformity. Not only the townspeople refuse to question the rightness of the ceremony, the immediately redefine the winner/loser as an outsider, no longer under the protection of the community” (130). Moreover as stated earlier that death triggers a very natural and humane reaction in every human being i.e. survival instinct so the theme of selfishness can also be inferred from Tessie's actions. Trupe (2006) says that "Extreme conditions it is believed to bring out humans' true toughness and intelligence" (217). As also observed in Tessie's case that earlier when she had never been subjected to such torture she never thought that it was wrong. However, when she became the victim she realized it is very unfair to her. Hence she in such a dire situation she tries to argue with other villagers that, "You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper that he wanted. I saw you. It isn’t fair” (p. 9) but it was her fate that did not allow her a second chance. The strains of selfishness are also apparent in the reactions of all the villagers as well while selecting the papers because every individual wish that may the victim be their friends but not their family or themselves. 2.4. Symbolism The Lottery comprises a variety of symbols which helps the readers in understanding the text better. Moreover, these symbols also foreshadow the twists that might occur in the story. For example, the date of the story i.e. June twenty-seventh is significant as Helen E. Nebeker states in American Literature that it has "symbolic overtones which alert us to the season of the summer solstice with all its overtones of ancient ritual" (Bloom 102). The names of the characters in the story are also laden with meaning. The names of Summers, Graves and Mrs. Delacorix hint at the true nature of the characters. In Mr. Summers case his name reflects life however, in reality, he is in charge of the lottery which instead of giving life to its winner it gives death. Hence this also represents the ironic twist which the author utilizes to reiterate that life is full of contradictions. Graves is the man who carries in “the black box and the three-legged stool” (4). His name hints to what will happen to Tessie Hutchinson. It is also Mr. Graves who gives the papers to the citizens, therefore, it is almost like he is the one who has the most influence over whose grave it will be next. Mrs. Delacroix's name means of the cross in Latin; therefore hinting at Tessie's sacrificial killing. Even though Mrs. Delacroix seems to be a friend to Mrs. Hutchinson it is she who is shown to pick up the largest rock and promotes other people to stone Tessie. The black box is another important symbol in the story. It is described as "the black box grew shabbier each year: by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained” (5).The shabby black box represents both the tradition of the lottery and the misconceived loyalty of the villagers to that tradition. The black color can also be associated with death as well as the ignorance of the literate people of the village who still conform to a centuries-old brutal tradition. Moreover black is also the color of evil. Helen E. Nebeker states that in the “box symbol, Jackson certainly suggests the body of tradition …which the dead hand of the past codified in religion, mores, government, and the rest of culture, and passed from generation to generation, letting it grow ever more cumbersome, and indefensible” (Bloom 104). 3. Conclusion Hence in The Lottery, there are two types of conflict that the readers learn about i.e. internal and external. Although these conflicts do not emerge till until the end of the story the author begins setting up the conflict from the very beginning. The external conflict is the dilemma of the villagers who loved Tessie yet because of the fear of being named the so-called lucky person they are not willing to redo the lottery. While Tessie's internal conflict is the realization that this lottery is nothing but a form of torturing human beings and it is unethical. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Shirley Jackson. New York: Chelsea House of Publishers, 2001. Print. Bloom, Harold. American women fiction writers, Volume 2. Chelsea House of Publishers, 1997. Print. D'Ammassa, Don. Encyclopedia of Adventure Fiction. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2009. Print. Trupe, Alice. Thematic Guide to Young Adult Literature. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2006. Print. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Analysis Of Lottery By Shirley Jackson Research Paper”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1438615-critical-analysis-of-the-short-story-name-the
(Analysis Of Lottery By Shirley Jackson Research Paper)
https://studentshare.org/literature/1438615-critical-analysis-of-the-short-story-name-the.
“Analysis Of Lottery By Shirley Jackson Research Paper”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1438615-critical-analysis-of-the-short-story-name-the.
  • Cited: 2 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Analysis Of Lottery By Shirley Jackson

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

The Lottery" by shirley jackson Thesis Statement The Lottery is written around the theme of the dangers in following traditions blindly and the author uses this theme in a comic and ironic way to state expose a causal vice, hypocrisy, and weakness of the human race.... Analysis of Major Elements Point of View The third person point of view was employed by shirley jackson in writing The Lottery.... For jackson, writing The Lottery was a test of her calling as a writer....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Analysis of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

Analysis Of shirley jackson's Lottery shirley jackson is known for her well written short stories most of which acclaimed a lot of criticisms.... shirley jackson makes strong references to the inactiveness of the human mind towards the sufferings of the people.... Very cleverly jackson points out the self-centeredness and lack of love and concern for the others through Tessie who points out her own daughter and son in law to stoned instead of her ....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

Name Date Course Section/# “The Lottery”: An Analysis With regards to the ultimate allegory that shirley jackson is attempting to represent, it is the belief of this author that she has a twofold representation that she attempts to acquaint the reader with.... Section/# “The Lottery An Analysis With regards to the ultimate allegory that shirley jackson is attempting to represent, it is the belief of this author that she has a twofold representation that she attempts to acquaint the reader with....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

The Lottery

It goes further to draw comparisons and contrasts between shirley jackson's “The Lottery” and Jane Glaspell's “A Jury of Her Peers” focusing on the main characters that are both females living in a male dominated and conservative societies.... Before we establish the kind of lottery to be done, the preliminary preparations does not depict any kind of violence to give the image of a typically organized society.... “The Lottery” The friendly tone that jackson uses to write the story and the way that she describes the days' events leading up to the lottery draw actually manages to initially hide the darkness that is actually represented by the lottery (Smith, p....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

The lottery

Full name Professor Subject Date An Analysis of The Lottery shirley jackson's “The Lottery” is a short story that has received so many acclaims for the genius of how it has been well-written.... The villagers were to have a lottery that day with families represented by the fathers.... This may be very barbaric but “The lottery” speaks more genuine concerns about tradition and how people treat it, than it looks to be in this retelling of the story....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Shirley Jacksons The Lottery: How Life Affects Literature

Though many Americans are familiar with "The Lottery", a short story written by shirley jackson, less are familiar with the outrage caused by the story's publication in the New Yorker in 1948.... This essay will argue that shirley jackson's life affected how she organized and presented "The Lottery" and that this merging of her life and the final work produced the underlying power which has made the story a prolonged classic in American literature.... As an initial matter, in order to understand how the author's life affected the short story, it is necessary to examine shirley jackson in some respects....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Analysis of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

This book review contains brief retelling and analysis of the moral problems raised in the story of The lottery by shirley jackson.... The Lottery shirley jackson's “The Lottery” is an excellent portrait of how quickly a person can change during a situation, especially when someone's life is at risk.... In jackson's short story, the lottery is an age-old tradition that involves the townspeople coming together to determine, by drawing slips of paper from a black box, who among them will be stoned to death....
2 Pages (500 words) Book Report/Review

Shirley jackson's

In shirley jackson's story, “The Lottery,” she… The story clearly shows the evil in the lottery, which takes away the lives of people.... In shirley jackson's story, “The Lottery,” she demonstrates a ridiculous traditional practice that should be rid of.... eferenceJackson, shirley.... With victims sacrificing to continue the tradition, the conflict in the story is how to convince people to think Running Head: THE lottery “The lottery” as It Relates to Our Time School “The lottery An Analysis Cultural traditions help shape values and behavior....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us