...“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is an excellent example of a symbolic and allegorical short story. This short story is about an annual lottery drawing at a small town in New England. The title itself holds a deep symbolism in this story. A lottery has always provided a sense of hope and adventure to people, but the lottery takes on an entirely different significance in this story. “The Lottery” in this story has been a tradition at this small rural town for many years. This tradition leaves painful death to a winner but the villagers never question to perform this horrible act of murder. The lottery is a symbol that represents as a barbaric and cruel symbol that results in the death of a friend, family, and neighbor. It is also an allegory showing that destructive effects can results from gambling. One of the allegory shows through the description of the characters. Names are used to represent different aspects and certain meaning throughout the story. One of the leaders and most important men of the town is Mr. Summers. Mr. Summers is a bright and cheerful man. His attitude, demeanor, and name represent the summer. He is the owner of coalmine. Coal suggests his ownership with evilness and death. He makes it a happy gathering, conducts all the town’s activities and then is also an executioner. Mr. Graves’s name represents what is about the happen. They are sending someone to their grave at the end of each lottery. His name is representing the irony of evil that implies, a...
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...Brown” and “The Lottery” By: Melissa A. Reeves Professor Andrew Smith ENGL 102-B46 LUO Thesis Statement The stories “The Lottery” and “Young Goodman Brown” both appear to show that human behavior and judgment can be flawed, even if the person’s intentions appear good to them. There is a level of fear and underlying evil in Puritan settings in both stories. I. Introduction/Statement of Thesis II. Themes and Author’s Purpose A. The Lottery i. Just because something has always been done, does not make it right or just; following the crowd can be dangerously wrong and evil. ii. The author shows through symbolism and storytelling that people can be easily influenced by society and those around them. iii. Also, the themes or persecution is addressed. B. Young Goodman Brown i. The theme is that believing that you are a righteous person does not always make you righteous. ii. The idea of doing one evil thing, but justifying it because it is only one time and he will never do it again and will be a good man afterward is addressed. III. Conclusion Symbolism found within “The Lottery” and “Young Goodman Brown” Melissa A. Reeves Liberty University Professor Andrew Smith 08/03/2014 Symbolism is found within both stories “The Lottery” and “Young Goodman Brown”. In both stories, symbols help in conveying the theme to the reader. In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”, symbols are used to help...
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...Thesis: In Shirley Jackson’s “The lottery,” symbolism is used to hint at the overall theme of the story. In Shirley Jackson's short story “The Lottery,” symbolism is used to hint at the overall theme of the story. The lottery in this particular story is not used for good fortune but instead is used for death and sacrifice. Jackson combines characters, objects, and actions to create the symbolism. There are many characters, both major and minor, that demonstrate symbolism in this story. Jackson uses seemingly normal people from an apparently normal town. The postman is named Mr. Graves, a name that symbolizes death. He holds a leading role as an official in the lottery. Mr. Summers is another character who holds a major role. His name projects thoughts of summer and the season of life. His name is ironic due to the dark ritual and the part he plays in the lottery. Jackson uses various symbols to portray this grim event along with particular elements that hint towards the ending of the story. The story shows the coldness people can have which can be seen in their values and tradition. The black box is a symbol of the past. The color black represents evil or death. The box embodies the past and shows what’s to come. In the story, the villagers were afraid to even follow Mr. Summer’s idea for making a new box because they did not want to upset tradition. While the lottery was taking place, Mr. Adams said to old man Warner, “over in the north village they are talking about...
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...Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery Fiction Analysis Through common belief winning the lottery is a chance to easily enrich oneself with bountiful amounts of money and prosperity. Jackson’s “The Lottery” takes the connotation of the word ‘lottery’ and adds irony in all of its forms to it. Shirley Jackson toys with the reader's expectations and twists them to leave a surprise. Much of the reader's expectations of how a lottery should occur are being built up but the turn of this story makes it apparently obvious that this specific lottery will destroy you. The turn of events near the end of the story reveals the dramatic irony. The readers commonly view the lottery as an easy way to wealth and money but the characters in this story know the lottery to be a sacrificial ritual, supported by the angst and whimpering given by Tessie when she is stoned. This dramatic irony leaves the readers torn inside and add layers of depth where they are expecting a happy ending but rather receive an unpleasant surprise that leaves a certain “taste in their mouths” if you will. This can not only be seen as dramatic irony but as situational Irony because the readers expect the lottery to be enriching, but the exact opposite happens through the death of the lottery ‘winner’. The irony is also found in the story when Tessie Hutchinson is late to the lottery she “clean forgot which day it was” ( Jackson 411) This quotation shows irony because she is late to her soon demise. Tessie forgets the lottery...
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...Excitement lingers through the air when the lottery rolls around in the U.S. Millions of dollars are won and almost no one wants to miss out on the lottery. In most people's minds, the lottery is associated with pride, wealth, and fame, but what if the lottery was associated with execution? In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” the lottery takes place in the middle of town in every year. One by one, families step up when their names are called and pull a single slip of paper from the infamous black box- in which the slips of paper lay. As each slip of paper is pulled, people cross their fingers, hoping that they will not be the winner. The lottery may seem like a positive game in which the winner receives riches, but dark secrets await in the black box. In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson uses the black box, stones, and the character's names to symbolize a dark somber mood....
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...Society’s conformation to honor traditions Shirley Jackson’s observation on individuals not questioning the society in 1948, is reflected in the shocking short story. The scope of this literary essay is to examine the use of symbolism, foreshadowing and irony which represent the negative consequence of the lottery. In “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson, Jackson uses symbolism, foreshadowing and irony to illustrate how society conforms to honor traditions which are outdated and barbarian. Jackson’s use of objects and names in the story symbolize the religious and symbolic meaning which leads to the brutal death of an innocent. In the story stones are very symbolic as it represents the death of an innocent individual. Stoning is a few methods...
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...The authors Shirley Jackson and Nathaniel Hawthorne, both frequently use different tone, style, symbols, and imagery within their stories “The Lottery” and “Young Goodman Brown.” Symbols are utilized as an enhancement tool to stress the theme of a story. The two short stories written by Jackson and Hawthorne are both thought provoking and full of evil. Many symbols are used to help develop the themes of both of the stories. The short stories both share the use of symbols, tone, style, and imagery to express different thoughts when reading them. Hopefully, by discussing the two short stories, their differences and similarities will be carefully explained. Jackson establishes the setting of "The Lottery" at the beginning of the story. On the morning of June 27th, a sunny and pleasant summer day, in the village...
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...Student: Tutor: Course: Date: The Lottery: Annotated Bibliography Nebeker, Helen. The Lottery: Symbolic Tour de Force", in American Literature, Vol. 46, No. 1, March, 1974, pp. 100-07. Print. Nebeker uses this piece of literary work to argue that each and every name used in “The Lottery” has a special or distinct significance (3). The author hints at some of the larger meanings, especially through name symbolism. At the end of the second paragraph, for instance, Nebeker asserts that Jackson had indicated and presented the season. It was time of ancient sacrifice and excess, with stones representing the most ancient sacrificial weapons (2). Apart from that, the name Martin signifies monkey or ape. The above is juxtaposed intentionally with Dickie Delacroix and Harry Jones with an aim of urging the people to be aware of the Ape residing within them. Indeed, “Delacroix has been vulgarized in the story to “Dellacroy,” who becomes the first person to pick a large stone something that encourages others to stone Mrs. Hutchinson. The above is a clear indication of forces against change in the society. The presence of Old Man Martin further symbolizes conservatives whose role is to undermine any attempt to discard old traditions (3). In a nutshell, this is a reliable source for my research since Nebeker has made every possible attempt to identify various facts about the historical context of the short story. Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. Mankato, Minnesota: The Creative Company...
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... Thesis Statement The themes of the short stories “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Rocking- Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence are similar in the way that they both use a game of chance or gambling in the presentation. Both of these stories are based on luck but instead of happiness being the ultimate prize for winning, death is the tragic outcome. Outline Introduction/Thesis paragraph I. Underlying message from the stories about the problems not directly addressed a. Lottery i. Conforming to traditions even when they are wrong or outdated b. Rocking Horse Winner i. Love or worship of materialistic things instead of each other II. Objects used by the author for symbolism a. Lottery i. Black box even though all other items have been forgotten b. Rocking Horse Winner i. Wooden rocking horse to symbolize the horses in the race III. Authors use of the gamble a. Lottery i. Being drawn means the prize is getting stoned to death b. Rocking Horse Winner i. Although the prediction of the race winner is correct Paul ends up dead and still without his mother’s love IV. Conclusion a. Restate and reword thesis and close. Playing the lottery or betting on horse races is a game of chance where the ultimate prize is money and fortune. The themes of the short stories, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Rocking- Horse Winner” by D. H. Lawrence are similar...
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...APA Thesis Statement / Outline Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’ and D.H. Lawrence‘s ‘The Rocking Horse Winner’ use personification, characterization, and symbolism, to develop the different themes contained in their short stories. I. Introduction a. A brief summary of the “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson b. A brief summary of the “The Rocking Horse Winner”, by D.H. Lawrence II. Overview of the use of, Personification, Characterization and Symbolism a. “The Rocking Horse Winner”, by D.H. Lawrence i. The personification employed in ‘The Rocking Horse Winner’ has a profound effect on the readers 1. The whispering house is the focus of the theme and plot i. Characterization of Paul and his obsession to gain his Mother’s love and fulfill her wish for more money that eventually leads to his death 1. The money hungry character traits that is passed down from Mother to child 2. Paul’s obsession has sexual overtones between him and his Mother i. Symbolism in developing the plot in “The Rocking-Horse Winner’ 1. The Mother’s insatiable need for wealth symbolizes superiority 2. Materialism replaces Love a. “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson i. Personification is omitted from this story ii. The Characters in “The Lottery” is developed through description 1. Every day people conducting life...
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...analysis of Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” reveals that different literary elements, such as tone and setting, are used to convey the characters’ arrival at dark, sinister places. II. INTRODUCTION III. SHIRLEY JACKSON’S “THE LOTTERY” A. Setting the tone: Peaceful and relaxing B. Irony: Even though the mood is relaxing, there is a premonition of something bad to come C. Ending: The ending is implied IV. NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE’S “YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN” D. Setting the tone: feeling of something evil to come E. Symbolism i. Faith – the wife and commitment to Jesus ii. Venture in to the forest – Journey of life iii. Traveler’s staff – Satan in the Garden of Eden F. Ending: Was it real or was it a dream? V. CONCLUSION A thorough analysis of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” reveals that different literary elements, such as tone and setting, are used to convey the characters’ arrival at dark, sinister places. Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” are two short stories that use completely opposite ways to get to the same destination: a dark, sinister place. Both stories are very dark, and almost morbid, but one story keeps the reader oblivious to the tragic event that is being set up, while the other story lays it out very plainly and clearly for the reader to feel from the start. In “The Lottery,” Jackson...
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...In Shirley Jacksons, ‘’The Lottery’’ creates a story that’s filled with symbolism, dramatic irony. Born in 1919 Shirley Jackson was an American author who wrote countless stories one better than the next but her most famous story is ‘’The Lottery’’ written in 1948 for new Yorker magazine the story offended readers because of how it suggested that evil could be carried out so easily and that stoning was a pointless and a violent sacrifice many of them cancelled their subscriptions because of how offensive the story was. Jackson’s use of irony and symbolism is brilliant and it is seen in all her stories. The use of symbolism is very present throughout the whole story. Which has different types of symbols with different types of meanings. Like For example, the representation of the stool that they use to put the black box on or even the black box itself. in “The Lottery’’Shirley Jackson wrote, "...
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...Young Goodman Brown and the Lottery Symbolism Use In: "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Lottery" The authors, Shirley Jackson and Nathaniel Hawthorne, both frequently use symbols within their stories "The Lottery" and "Young Goodman Brown." Symbols are utilized as an enhancement tool to stress the theme of each story. Hawthorne uses names and objects to enhance the theme, and Jackson mainly utilizes names to stress the theme, although she does have one object as a symbol of great importance to the theme. The stories both contain symbols describing evil. The majority of Hawthorne's symbols describe religion (both good and evil), but Jackson’s symbols reflect the evil nature within society as a whole. There exists a symbolic act in each story. The short stories both share the use of symbols, but the symbols are used to express different thoughts in ones mind while reading them. The stories "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Lottery" both use names as symbols. Hawthorne uses the names Young Goodman Brown and Faith to portray nice, descent people. The name Faith alone implies a faithful and Christian individual as stated "And Faith, as the wife was aptly named," (211). Jackson uses the name Mr Graves throughout her story; he is the coordinator of the lottery. She needs not give any explanation to the name, as it speaks for itself (a symbol of death). Various other names are used as symbols within each story; however, these mentioned are the most significant names to the theme. The stories...
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...one truly knows where certain traditions came from and just have come the conclusion that they are not meant to question it. In the case of the people in, The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, they have the same fear of breaking what has been a lifelong tradition in their town. While the opening scenes depict a glorious day full of happy town members, Jackson is planning on turning the day into a treacherous one by the end of the story. Throughout the story, Jackson is using an array of symbols to give an uneasy feeling to the reader. These symbols are used to help portray the idea that by accepting these traditions can lead to terrible consequences. Looking at the title of this short story is something that is very important to what Jackson is trying to convey within the rest of the story. The lottery, in general, is a celebration of someone who has won. Although it is the case that someone does “win” in Jackson’s story, it is not the kind of winning that most people would celebrate. As for the people within the town, it is more that they are celebrating not being picked as opposed to being the one that has won. By using the lottery as the title of this short story, Jackson is setting the reader up to believe that the end result will be a joyous one but instead it is the exact opposite. This then becomes a symbol of what can happen when traditions are not questioned by future generations. The carefree tone that leads off this story gives the reader no...
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...Fisher 1 Stacey Fisher Professor Bailey English 1302 10 FEB 2014 “The Lottery” Shirley Jackson's “The Lottery” is a compelling story about rituals, symbolism, scapegoats, and the use of unnecessary violence to portray the cruelty of human nature. The story takes place on a warm June 27th day at 10am, the weather is clear and sunny. The townspeople of a small village of more than 300 gather for a yearly ritual, the lottery. The townspeople talk and joke as the children run and play. A black box is introduced and the people start the process of choosing the scapegoat this year, the one to be stoned to death. The turn of events in this story just goes to show you the rituals, symbolism, and the unnecessary violence in human society. Every year the lottery serves as a ritual and the black box is introduced. The black box symbolizes death to one of the villagers who will be the scapegoat for all. Mr. Summers, the lottery official follows some of these rituals by asking questions they all know the answers to. He did so, in my opinion, to keep it official and fair or uniform to all. Another ritual Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves performed was to fill the box the night before with the slips of paper to be used the next morning. They performed this year after year. The ritual itself involved the heads of the households to draw from the box and the one who drew the black dot would return his dot to the black box. They would count his family members and that many...
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