The Lottery Essay

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Respina Semino
February 14, 2015
English 11
Mr. Barazzoul

Setting in “The Lottery”

The setting in a story can be described as the physical and emotional atmosphere in which a story takes place. Physical setting is made up of factors such as time and place. Emotional setting, on the other hand, entails the mood of the story, which can include the sense of loneliness or serenity. Short stories use setting to set the tone of the text during which the story takes place and can even affect a character’s personality. In the short story, “The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson, the physical and emotional aspects of the settings help build the mood and impact the character’s personality.
“The Lottery”, is started out by being described as, “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.” (Jackson, 1). This includes both the physical and emotional setting because it tells the reader what time of day and what time of year the story takes place and it also indicates the mood of the story by describing the grass as "richly green" and that "the flowers were blossoming profusely" (Jackson, 1). These descriptions of the surroundings give the reader a serene felling about the town, and they also make the reader feel comfortable about the surroundings as if there was nothing wrong in this quaint town. Jackson also uses the emotional setting in “The Lottery” effectively, to foreshadow an ironic ending. The town in which the lottery takes place is described as an ordinary and pleasant community. The children eagerly anticipate summer and play with one another: "They

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Importance Of The Lottery

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Archetypes In The Lottery

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson uses different characters who stand as symbols of society's archetypes providing a dark glimpse into human's true nature. The pivotal characters that stand as archetypes are the unnamed crowd who represent the mob mentality that defines society, Bill Hutchison who fails to protect his wife revealing his focus on protecting his own life , and Mr. Summers who oversees the "lottery" that condemns a member of the community to death by stoning. The villagers all assemble…

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Lottery: The Lottery and Shirley Jackson Essay

Fiction Essay A Towns Tradition: “The Lottery” In Shirley Jackson’s short story “ The Lottery”, the tradition starts off even before the birth of Old Man Warner, who has now been doing the lottery for seventy seven years. This story is shown in third person and instead of the narrator telling us the characters thoughts and feelings, the narrator chooses to show through the lottery opening up and changing its route. Through the course of the years there had been some customs that have been dropped…

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In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery,” one of the main characters is Mr. Summers. “The lottery was conducted--as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program--by Mr. Summers.” Summers might be the busy body of the village, but he is not the protagonist of the story. Because he represents the status quo situation in the village, his presence in the story is one of the most significant symbols of “The Lottery.” Summers represents blind adherence to ritual, as he is in charge…

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The Lottery Essay

The black box in this story is a symbol of tradition and the villager’s loyalty towards the lottery. When it comes to tradition it is easy to forget the significance, especially when a tradition is very old like the lottery. Shirley Jackson continuously shows the age of this tradition through the box throughout the story by showing the fragileness of the box. Mr. summers had to ‘carry the black wooden box’ and had it ‘resting on the stool’ showing the tiredness of this tradition. They even talked…

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THE LOTTERY Essay

attention, draw them in and deliver information the author is trying to convey. After reading “The Lottery” it appears to me that the story has numerous main characters including the lottery itself. Let’s start with Tessie Hutchison. Tess’ character type is round and dynamic. Her character is multifaceted and you never know quite what to expect from Tess. When Tessie Hutchinson arrives to the lottery late, she denies even remembering that today was “the day.” Tess immediately sticks out like a…

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Sacrifice In The Lottery

If there are no farmers to tend the crops in the end, then the lottery to boost the harvest season is worthless. In a small village on a clear and sunny day, an unusual draw is held: one in which nobody wants to win. The story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is written about sacrificing a member of the village to receive a heavy harvest that season. It is said that “human sacrifice is not just… designed to appease the gods… or bring luck and prosperity” (Parker-Pearson, 2011, p. 4, P. 6). The article…

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