Examples Of Conformity In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Words: 1277
Pages: 6
Open Document
Conformity
"The Lottery" is a short story by Shirley Jackson, in which the reader is introduced to a village that, on the surface, seems idyllic. That idea is soon put into question as they read the conversations between the people of the village. Even, in the beginning, the actions of the young boys making a stockpile of rocks does not seem threatening. After all, that is what young boys do. However, the adults seem tense and agitated. This leads the reader to wonder is there something not quite right about this gathering on such a lovely June day? Jackson's use of characterizations, theme, and symbolism lead to many subtle undertones in her short story, "The Lottery."
It is clear, in the story, that the men of the village hold all the power. …show more content…
and Mrs. Adams question the lottery, they are trapped by all the old traditions. It is hard to change traditions that are hundreds of years old when the traditions are upheld by fear of reprisal and fear of change. In an article by Helen E. Nebeker she states, Shirley Jackson has raised these lesser themes to one encompassing a comprehensive, compassionate, and fearful understanding of man trapped in the web spun from his own need to explain and control the incomprehensible universe around him, a need no longer answered by the web of old traditions (Nebeker 2). The village people are certainly afraid of change, but still hopeful that what other villages have done, stopping the lottery, will happen to their village.
Jackson emphasizes how old the lottery is in many ways. Her statement, " Because so much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers had been successful in having slips of paper substituted for the chips of wood that had been used for generations" (Jackson). The idea that chips of wood had been used suggests a time before paper was available. The people of the village have never known a time in their lives or the lives of their ancestors when the lottery was not done every …show more content…
It is easy to find a different interpretation for almost every line of the story. A lot of them try to dissect and discern what Jackson's meaning was for every line. Jackson's explanation for how the story actually came to be is in her "Biography of a Story". She writes, The idea had come to me while I was pushing my daughter up the hill in her stroller-it was, as I say, a warm morning, and the hill was steep, and beside my daughter the stroller held the day's groceries-and perhaps the effort of that last fifty yards up the hill put an edge to the story; at any rate, I had the idea fairly clearly in my mind when I put my daughter in her playpen and the frozen vegetables in the refrigerator, and writing the story , I found that it went quickly and easily, moving from beginning to end without pause. As a matter of fact, when I read it over later I decided that except for one or two minor corrections, it needed no changes, and the story I finally typed up and sent off to my agent the next day was almost word for word the original draft. I didn't think it was perfect, but I didn't want to fuss with it. It was, I thought, a serious, straightforward story, and I was pleased and a little surprised at the ease with which it had been written. (Hall 1). Her explanation of how she came to write "The Lottery", does not seem to warrant all the interpretations that are written about her story. She obviously did not do any research that
Show More

Related Documents: Examples Of Conformity In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Controversy In The Lottery

Controversy In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson In “ The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, there are many reference to history along with controversial topics and actions. The topics addressed in the story involve conformity, tradition, rituals, and horror. The short story incorporates morbid history and showcases conformity between other people. By exploring other references we can better understand the work as a whole and how the author pieced the story together. When analysing “ The Lottery” the story is…

Words 1059 - Pages 5

Examples Of Tradition In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is a tale of a tradition that has haunted a town for many years. Even though the majority of the town’s people does not agree with the ceremony, they still proceed to participate in the lottery because of tradition. Along with the story Jackson also gives the reader numerous examples of why social conformity is such a vast issue in society. With the use of lively dialogue, descriptive…

Words 509 - Pages 3

Essay on The Theme of Groupthink in “the Sisterhood of the Night” and “the Lottery”

Course Details: Date of Submission: The Theme of Groupthink in “The Sisterhood of the Night” and “The Lottery” In “The Sisterhood of the Night” by Steven Millhauser and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, groupthink is a central theme that authors used to explain their main idea. Groupthink is a phenomenon in psychology occurring to individuals where their desire for conformity within their group results in a deviant outcome. This means that the members consider minimizing their conflict…

Words 885 - Pages 4

conformity kills Essay

Conformity Kills There are two major themes of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. These include the dangers of thoughtlessly following traditions, the unjust and inhumanity of violent persecutions. This story intrigued me not only for its message, but because of the author’s background. Jackson suffered from severe depression, and struggled with it throughout her life, this may have had some relevance as to why she wrote this story. Her unique and twisted foreshadowing tone shows the reader a glimpse…

Words 1077 - Pages 5

An Analysis Of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

“The Lottery”, a short story written by Shirley Jackson, describes an annual ritual of “The Lottery” in a small village. People in this small town kill the winner of the lottery every year, but they don’t realize it’s wrong. The author satirizes the people who follow the traditions blindly. Some say this story is not really about the people in the village­it is about you and me and society. I totally agree with that, “The Lottery” is about us, and what happens around us. Firstly, people follow the…

Words 353 - Pages 2

Comparing The Lottery 'And' A Midsummer Night's Dream

must work hard and do a good job. Therefore, society enables people to perform actions they normally would not because no one wants to be considered a coward or a bad person. Although many people believe society to be beneficial, “America,” “The Lottery,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and “Hills like White Elephants,” reminds us that society influences…

Words 1880 - Pages 8