Symbolism In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson

Words: 1561
Pages: 7
Open Document
“The Lottery,” written by Shirley Jackson in 1948, takes place in a rural village on June 27th where the town folks participate in an annual lottery. As seen in the story, the head of each family draws a slip of paper. The family that chooses the slip with a black dot must sacrifice one family member to a stoning at the end of the particular drawing. Unfortunately for Tessie Hutchinson, she drew the black dot. Drawing the black dot forced almost all the townspeople, including her own friends and children, to stone her to death. From a reader’s standpoint, this short story might illustrate the consequences of blindly following tradition. However, looking at the narrative through the lenses of feminism, “The Lottery” takes place in a patriarchal …show more content…
The elderly are typically perceived to be wise-minded and respected among individuals. However, during “The Lottery,” we see Old Man Warner to be vulgar towards the townspeople in order to keep the lottery. For example: When the Hutchinson’s family had to draw slips, a young girl said “I hope it’s not Nancy” to which he responded “People ain’t the way they used to be” (Jackson, 424). According to the words of Fritz Oehlschlaeger in “The Stoning of Mistress Hutchinson: Meaning and Context in 'The Lottery'.” he expressed: “This girl's expression of a purely personal feeling is perceived by Old Man Warner as a threat to the social order, as is indicated by his bitterly exclaiming, “It's not the way it used to be,” when presumably everyone subordinated personal feelings to the social demands of the ritual” (Oehlschlaeger). We clearly tell that Warner feels strongly about the annual lottery. However, we barely see the townspeople respond to his angry nature and inconsideration. This is truly because due to his age and social status, he holds dominance over the whole town, thus not allowing the halting of the …show more content…
For example: When the Hutchinson’s unfortunately got the selected to be stoned at the end of the story. In order to save her and her family’s life, Tessie Hutchinson pleaded and called the lottery “unfair.” In response, Tessie’s female friend Mrs. Delacroix called out “Be a good sport Tessie” (Jackson, 423). An opposing argument would be that Mrs. Delacroix’s response and quick nature to participate in the stoning of Tessie equals the playing field with the men and women in regards towards their submission to the lottery. According to Oehlschlaeger, “Jackson emphasizes women's turning against one another, too, through her pointed depiction of the brutality of Mrs. Delacroix and Mrs. Graves in setting upon Tessie” (Oehlschlaeger). However, it was not until Mr. Hutchinson yelled “Shut up, Tessie” that we learn more about the prejudice that even Tessie’s husband has towards the women of this story. After the Hutchinson’s individual drawing and the townspeople realize Tessie has the black dot, the story reads: “‘Show us her paper, Bill.’ Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paper out of her hand” (Jackson, 425). Unfortunately, we see the true control men have over women through this whole story. When Bill was told to take the responsibility to take his wife’s slip of paper and
Show More

Related Documents: Symbolism In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson

Symbolism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

In The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson she includes different symbols and themes in her story. Two themes that are mentioned throughout the story are traditions and customs along with family. The main tradition that happens in this story is The Lottery. In this tradition everyone is included, family, friends, and all villagers including the young and old. The black box and the lottery and the stones used symbols that she illustrates in the story. One of the villagers is chosen and then killed at the…

Words 1194 - Pages 5

Symbolism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a short story about a traditional event that is held once a year in small villages with a massive amount of people to stone the person who picked the paper that has the black dot on it to death. In this short story, Shirley Jackson uses symbolism and themes that are being used to make the story more interesting and enjoyable. Symbolism can be a person, place or thing that symbolizes something. For example, the black dot on the paper means death in the story…

Words 987 - Pages 4

Essay On Symbolism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Symbolism in Stories The short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson contains many symbols, such as the three-legged stool, the white piece of paper, and the setting, all of which symbolize some positive aspects of life. For example, the three-legged stool symbolizes the Christian Trinity (the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit). The white piece of paper symbolizes another year of life and the sunny summer setting symbolizes life. However, not all symbols are positive. Unlike the three symbols that…

Words 589 - Pages 3

Summary Of Symbolism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

In the story “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson uses symbolism to develop the theme that humanity is weak and blink. Throughout the story, the characters with special name had demonstrated the weakness of human nature will lead to be conformity and eventually cause death. Even though Mr. Graves state “all of [them have] the same chance” to take time and choose their ticket, the fear of death from the village will not say any absolve word for the scapegoat Hutchison and Mrs. Delacroix hoping to “Hurry…

Words 346 - Pages 2

The Lottery By Shirley Jackson Symbolism Analysis

Some ways Jackson uses symbolism is with the black box, which represents tradition because “It grew shabbier each year” (391). The box was splintered on the sides and the town needed a new one since the box is messed up, this means they have been using it a lot, but some people didn't want to disturb the tradition it had a long time ago. This makes the reader think that the people in the town are brainwashed by the box and the lottery. Therefore, we understand that in the small town the box runs…

Words 156 - Pages 1

Summary Of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

can go out and buy a lottery ticket. People buy lottery tickets hoping to win. If you win, you win money. However, in the lottery, the people do not want to win the lottery. If someone wins in the story, they die. The lottery takes place in a village on a warm, sunny, summer day. It was June 27th to be exact. Everyone in the village would pick out of a black box. The black box held a bunch of papers with one paper that has a black dot on it. The problem in the story is the lottery itself. Whoever gets…

Words 987 - Pages 4

Foreshadowing In The Lottery

that people do to create chaos. Shirley Jackson utilizes foreshadowing, symbolism, and imagery in her short story. Through an analysis of Jackson's use of foreshadowing, symbolism, and imagery, she shows the reader of how dark and emo the world may be. Jackson utilizes foreshadowing by going future hints of what's going to happen in the story for the readers to start thinking of what's going to happen later on in the short story. For example, in the text, Jackson demonstrates foreshadowing of what's…

Words 567 - Pages 3

Similarities Between Shirley Jackson And Flannery O Connor

3/4/17 “Shirley Jackson vs. Flannery O’Connor” Shirley Jackson and Flannery O’Connor’s stories that we are talking about “The Lottery” and “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” have a lot of similarities like the way they use their religious lifestyle to influence how the stories plot moves. Shirley Jackson uses an extensive amount of symbolism as well as characters names to foreshadow the inevitable. Flannery O’Connor is more involved with imagery to foretell the inevitable once again. Shirley Jackson uses…

Words 1416 - Pages 6

Essay on TheLotteryDecember5th

a ladder. Oftentimes people follow superstitions so much that they become rituals. This idea is seen in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. Ms. Jackson develops her short story using symbols, such as names, objects, numbers and specific times in the setting to further the idea that superstitions overtime become rituals. Ms. Jackson uses a network of allegorical symbolism in “The Lottery” to build around a severe commentary of how tradition works in American culture. Tradition both as a means of…

Words 2280 - Pages 10

Symbolism In Harrison Bergeron

SYMBOLISM & ALLUSIONS In the short stories Harrison Bergeron, 2BRO2B, and THe Lottery with have lots of symbolism. Symbolism is a object,person or setting that represents something. First, in the story Harrison Bergeron written by Kurt Vonnegut. In the story Harrison Bergeron Shirley Jackson uses alot of symbolism like int the beginning she says that Harrison Bergeron’s father heard gun shots in his ear which could symbolize Harrison getting shot. Also towards the…

Words 268 - Pages 2