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The Deadly Traditions

In: English and Literature

Submitted By flossy69
Words 940
Pages 4
Shawna Parker
Jonathan Cook
English 112
28 September 2008
The Deadly Traditions
Throughout the course of life, families have traditions and cultural norms. As you get older or the family grows traditions sometimes need to change. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson illuminates the struggle of human survival. We as human are instinctively designed to preserve our lives, as we know it. Jackson uses symbolism, setting, irony and structure in the essay, to show to that life is a gamble.
Most of use is creatures of habit. We don’t adjust to changes that interfere with our way of life. In the story of “The Lottery”, Jackson uses irony to show a slip of paper can cause a life changing event. Mrs. Hutchinson was late to the lottery because of her dishes. Somehow her dishes seemed more important than getting to the lottery on time. But once she remembered what the day was she went a running. As she arrived the villagers were making fun of her because she was late. Her explanation,” Wouldn’t have me leave m’ dishes in the sink now, would you Joe?” (12-13) or perhaps maybe she felt the fear of possibly losing one of her family members. One could even see the metaphoric belief if she is late maybe the lottery itself would just go away and not take place. How does a family accept having to participate in a tradition that is fatal ritual? Every thing seemed so fun and jokingly until the Hutchinson family made their deadly draw. It was ironically when Mr. Hutchinson drew the death paper for his family “Tessie Hutchinson shouted to Mr. Summers, “You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair” (15). Mothers will do anything to protect their families. Ironically moments ago, it was fun and games. Her husband drew the slip and now a member of her family is about to lose there life. Mrs. Hutchinson and Mrs. Delacroix stood in the crowd

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