The Theme Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson - 1159 Words

When â€Å"The Lottery† begins, nothing seems unusual about this community, no hint of what is to come, or how heinous an act is about to occur. As they ready themselves for what seems to be a cheerful event, preparing as if to win something valuable, rather than to lose this lottery, eagerness and enthusiasm fill the air. The tradition, this community has been following, is overly duteous, more sheep like, illustrating the extent to which people will go to fit in, to be part of a crowd, to feel accepted. The theme of this story is a reflection on some of Shirley Jackson’s life, from her experiences as a wife in a small community in conjunction with her perspective of the events of WW II. Jackson was born in San Francisco and grew up in an†¦show more content†¦Looking at another central idea which parallels her life, is the hint of feminism. According to author James Sallis, in the book written by Ruth Franklin, Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, â€Å"Jackson wrote, she says, always with a central interest in womens lives, and in genres regarded as faintly disreputable,.† Feminism has a recurring role in The Lottery’s theme, beginning with the way in which the men gathered in one area, and the women in another. Jackson also described the men as â€Å"speaking† but the women as exchanging bits of â€Å"gossip†, and then again, when the Watson boy needs to draw for his mother, they express how pleased they are that she has† a man to do it†. So, there is another serious theme in Jackson’s writing: the dark and evil side of humanity, with its follow the rules savior faire. Without a doubt, the war and the Holocaust had a profound effect on how she perceived the world. Some believed she was slightly perverse and odd along with her writing style and stories, but according to her husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman in his book about his wife titled The Magic of Shirley Jackson, rather the opposite was true stating, â€Å"Quite the reverse: they are a sensitive and faithful anatomy of our times, fittingShow MoreRelatedTheme And Theme In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson996 Words   |  4 PagesThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a story of an unusual town caught in a trap of always following tradition, even when it is not in their best interest. Jackson uses symbols throughout the story that relate to the overall theme. This helps the reader clearly understand her main message. Jackson uses setting, tone and symbols to convey a theme to her audience. By doing so she creates significant connections to the theme using old man Warner and the black box as examples. The setting and tone inRead More, Symbolism, And Themes In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson1252 Words   |  6 PagesShirley Jackson’s The Lottery, is a realism story that was written for the main purpose of entertainment. Jackson writes about a small village that gathers every year for an event they call â€Å"The Lottery†. Every head of households comes up and draws a slip of paper from the box. Bill Hutchinson draws the first slip of paper with the black dot but Tessie Hutchinson quickly exclaims the lottery is not fair. Mr. Summers then puts five slips of paper back into the box, one for each of the family membersRead MoreTheme Of Symbolism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson960 Words   |  4 Pagesshall be purged with death. The beauty of this world is just a mere mask to hide its monstrosity.Tear off its mask and you shall be bestowed upon the gift of the cruelty of this world. Shirley Jackson’s short story the â€Å"Lottery† illustrates the characte r Tessie Hutchinson as a figure of symbolism as it leads to the theme that the norms of society isolates those who are a victim of labels and expectations because they decorate the origins of sins therefore premonition of the ruin to some extent becomesRead MoreSimilar Themes In The Lottery And The Destructors By Shirley Jackson774 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"The Destructors† are both very intriguing short stories. Imagine being out in the hot, bright sun and then suddenly being stoned by fifty people or driving up to your house one day from being out of town and seeing your house completely gone. Feelings or emotions of hurt, sorrow, or loneliness begin to appear. People can be cruel for no reason because that individual is not happy with their life or simply jealousy. Shirley Jackson who wrote â€Å"The Lottery† and Graham Green who wroteRead MoreGreat Theme of Symbolism in the Short Story, The Lottery, by by Shirley Jackson1033 Words   |  4 Pagesthe short fictions read in the Grade 11 English curriculum, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is by far the most important story read because of the theme, the characters and the symbolism. The Lottery is a story about a community, who every year draws the lottery for someone in the village. A lottery is often associated with positive things such as prizes, and money, however, this story has a twist; whoever gets the black marked lottery ticket is stoned by the community people as it is a long traditionRead MoreLiterary Themes InThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson796 Words   |  4 PagesIn the short story â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, many literary elements are used. The chronological order in which the story is told is what makes this short story interesting and its ending shocking. Jackson narrates the unfolding of a village’s lottery ceremony by providing a detailed description of the plot, symbolism, and tone and style to portray the strong commitment between the lottery and the people in the village. As the story begins, Jackson starts to develop the plot by describingRead More Theme of Tradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay1322 Words   |  6 PagesThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson Americans day after day live much of their lives following time-honored traditions that are passed down from one generation to another. From simple everyday cooking and raising children, to holidays and other family rituals, tradition plays a significant role on how they go by there everyday lives. In Shirley Jacksons short story, The Lottery, the citizens of a small farming town follow one such tradition. A point is made regarding human nature in relationRead MoreThemes Of `` The Lottery `` By Shirley Jackson And The Ones Who Walk Away From 1861-18651553 Words   |  7 PagesSafeAssign Logo Help I have chosen to examine the theme of attempted but failed equality in my final paper. The theme of equality is present throughout many of the dystopian short stories, novels, poems and films we have studied in class. The three stories I feel this theme is most present in are â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut and â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas† by Ursula Le Guin. In these stories society tries to make everything orderly and just. TheirRead More Shirley Jacksons The Lottery 946 Words   |  4 PagesShirley Jackson is said to be one of the most â€Å"brilliant and influential authors of the twentieth century.† â€Å"Her fiction writing is some of the most important to come out of the American literary canon.† (http://shirleyjackson.org/Reviews.html) Jackson wrote many short stories and even some books. They are more on the dark, witchlike side, however. Kelleher explains that Jackson stated in some interviews that she practiced magic. No one really knows if she was serious while practicing witchcraftRead MoreAnalysis of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson993 Words   |  4 PagesSpanish author, When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. Shirley Jackson was born in 1919 in San Francisco, California to Leslie and Geraldine Jackson. She is most well known for her short story titled â€Å"The Lottery† which was first published in The New Yorker to overwhelming and mixed reviews. The lottery, as portrayed in the short story, is a religious, annual ceremony in the afternoon of June 27. This event is said to be older