...SHORT STORY ESSAY Comparison and Contrast between “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Lottery” “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the two writers uses symbolism, characterization, and conflict to illustrate the hidden dark side of mankind in normal people. The characters in the stories struggle with the conflict between good and evil. To stress the theme of both stories, symbols are applied as a tool for the development of the story. Hawthorne applies objects and names to intensify the theme and Jackson uses names to bring out his theme. Young Goodman Brown sees the conflict with evil and society. The protagonists of this story deals with Satan on a personal level. He lets the evil take over his faith and beliefs, and also realizes some important people in his life can portrait evil. As he says, “My faith is gone!” cried he, after one stupefied moment. “There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name (Hawthorne, 1835). He loses faith in the many people he once looked up to, after witnessing his wife and townspeople perform a sacrifice in the dead of night. The experience distorts his view of good in people, and leaves him feeling uneasy and abandoned. In the Lottery, they also had the conflict of good and evil in society. In an annual lottery, together, friends...
Words: 646 - Pages: 3
...Adrienne Wesley Fiction Essay 201420 Spring 2014 ENG 102 D44 LUO April 6, 2014 Nathan Valle, professor Thesis Statement: The Lottery and The Most Dangerous Game are stories that demonstrate man’s fascination with evil and how they delight in the destruction of human life I. The setting of The Lottery paints the picture of a civilized society. A. The story takes place in June B. The village has places representative of civilization a. A bank b. Schools c. Post office II. The Mood of the story is light and provides no insight to the tragedy about to unfold A. The people act as if the lottery is a time of joy B. There is no evidence of the stoning C. The villagers seem light hearted and jovial D. They make jokes as they assemble for the lottery III. The Characters are influenced by their setting A. The lottery is a tradition B. People participate in the lottery just because it is a tradition C. No one opposes the lottery, all are willing participants D. Other villages have stopped the tradition E. Setting makes story outcome unbelievable IV. The Most Dangerous Game takes place in a jungle on an island and General Zaroff’s home A. Ship-Trap Island , an island known for its reputation B. The Island seems civilized C. Different from The Lottery because the reader believes there could be danger D. Setting gives the reader a false sense of security a. Basic needs (food...
Words: 1311 - Pages: 6
...Goodman 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...
Words: 1043 - Pages: 5
...Goodman Brown” and “The Lottery” Symbolism is when the author uses an object or reference to add deeper meaning to a story. Symbolism in literature can be subtle or blatant; it can also be used sparingly or considerably. An author may repeatedly use the same object to convey deeper meaning or may use variations of the same object to create an overarching mood or feeling. Many authors use symbolism to further foretell and capture the important elements of the story. Both Nathaniel Hawthorne in “Young Goodman Brown" and Shirley Jackson in “The Lottery’, use symbolism in these short stories. The stories both contain symbols describing evil. Hawthorne’s symbolism describes good versus evil, while Jackson's symbolism reflects the evil nature within society as a whole. The first two characters that Hawthorne introduces, Young Goodman Brown and his wife Faith, are both symbolic in their names. Brown's name symbolizes youth and good nature. Brown is a young man throughout the story, and his youth suggests that he has yet to be corrupted by the world and is still innocent. Hawthorne writes, "Faith, as the wife was aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons on her cap, while she called to Goodman Brown" (Hawthorne 331). Faith’s name symbolizes the trust and virtue that is found within a good wife. It may also hint at the faith that Young Goodman Brown struggles to hang Haney 2 onto. As the story goes on, Goodman Brown meets...
Words: 865 - Pages: 4
...“The Lottery” foreshadows and settings Shirley Jackson's “The Lottery”, this story filled with symbolism. The author uses symbolism to help her represent human nature as tainted, no matter how pure one thinks of himself or herself, or how pure their environment may seem to be. The story is very real in raising many questions about the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. “The Lottery” clearly couriers Jackson's feelings concerning mankind’s evil nature hiding behind traditions and rituals. She shows how coldness and lack of compassion in people can exhibit in situations regarding tradition and values. Jackson presents the theme of this short story with a major use of symbolism. Symbolism shows throughout the setting of “The Lottery”, the objects, the people’s actions, and even in the time and the names of the lucky contestants. The setting of the story helps to magnify its impact on the reader because it is set in a small town similar to the one many of us may know of, and that is symbolic of everything that we consider to be right in America. The story begins on a magnificent summer day in a small town. The author describes the day as very joyful but strikes a contrast between the surroundings of the town and the atmosphere of the people gathered in the square. The atmosphere is sober, where the adults, stood together, away from the stones in the corner, and their “jokes were quiet and they smiled rather then laughed” (Mandell, 2013). This unifies...
Words: 1564 - Pages: 7
...The world today has faced many trials and tribulations. It is quite similar to the two short stories ‘Young Goodman Brown” and “The Lottery.” In these stories, characters are faced with situations beyond their own imagination and to makes things worse is how they are tested. They will encounter people and other things that are unjust. These stories bring a lot of comparisons such as the setting of the stories, but mostly there are contrasts such as the symbolism within the stories and the meaning each author put behind their stories. In comparing the two short stories “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Lottery,” it is easily noticed that both of these stories takes place well within the community setting. Each story has the involvement of the people who lives within the town. Details in the story showcase how the communities makes the characters feel accepted one way or another to a certain extinct. Within these communities, each has their own traditions, laws, and perimeters that justify the reasoning behind what they do. In turn it kind of makes these communities have a sense of uniqueness to them and that is why individuals are pulled in and want to be part of these communities. In addition, both of these stories showcase a sense of a happy ambience and exuberance. In “The Lottery,” the author, Shirley Jackson illustrates a perfect day by stating “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with a fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely...
Words: 1037 - Pages: 5
...The “Lucky” One In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery”, the evils of humanity and the strong roots of tradition dominate the behaviors of the community as a whole. The characters in this story represent the different evils of this barbaric tradition help in this small community. The tradition itself overrides the basic moral that killing someone is wrong in all situations. Robert Heilman says that Jackson, “has taken the ancient ritual of the scapegoat—the sacrificing of an individual on whom evils of the community are ceremonially laid, and plunged it into an otherwise realistic account of contemporary American life” (222). The story takes place in a small village with about 300 people. “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with fresh warmth of a full-summer day” (Jackson 681). Lenemaja Friedman says, “The village appears to have holiday atmosphere…readers expectations are that the lottery is a joyous occasion, ending with a happy surprise for some lucky individual” (191). The lottery drawing is held at the town square where the school, post office, grocery store, and school are located. The children have just been dismissed from school for summer break and are eager to play. The boys begin to gather up stones and making piles. Readers at first see nothing wrong or symbolic about the gathering of these stones. According to Friedman, “The gathering of the stones in one corner of the square is part of the ceremony , performed by the school...
Words: 1902 - Pages: 8
...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 generates...
Words: 1051 - Pages: 5
...The Lottery vs the Destructors Thesis In Shirley Jackson’s, “The Lottery”, and Graham Greene’s “The Destructors”, the author creates a story filled with symbolism, irony, grim reality, and a ritualized tradition that masks evil, which ultimately showcases how people blindly follow tradition. Outline I. Introduction II. Setting B. Time Period III. Plot A. What messages are seen in both stories IV. Characters A. Main Characters B. Traits of Characters V. Tone of Stories VI. Conclusion Comparison and Contrast of The Lottery and The Destructors W. Goode English102 Liberty University Comparison and Contrast of The Lottery and The Destructors The Lottery and The Destructors are two remarkable representatives of the world literature. The authors of these two literary pieces are Shirley Jackson, and Graham Greene, in accordance, who hide the true meaning of their stories behind ironic depictions and comic pictures. Although The Lottery, as well as The Destructors transports the reader into a particularly different from each other fictional world, characters in these short stories equally undergo influence of their surroundings or society. Shirley Jackson and Graham Greene portrayed a clear picture as to how society might easily and sorely impacted the people that live in it. Thus, heroes of The Lottery and The Destructors remain under the influence of what has taken place around them, and their attitude towards everyday life is...
Words: 1055 - Pages: 5
...How far would you go to keep tradition going? In the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson tradition plays a major role. The characters in this ironic story take keeping tradition to another level. Old Man Warner who is the “oldest man in town” says that there is an old saying that states, “lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.” The lottery is an event that occurs place every year. Basically everyone in their village assembles and someone's life is sacrificed for their harvest. Each family has one person to draw for their family. If a person draws the white paper that has a black dot on it, then everyone in their family has to draw. Finally, the family member that draws the paper with the dot gets stoned. Ultimately this short story is full of characters such as, Mrs. Delacroix and Tessi Hutchinson, who are good and evil natured....
Words: 502 - Pages: 3
...102 Conflict in Two Times In the short stories, The Lottery, and The Destructors, there are many parallels to be found. Both accounts share a common theme of despair and evil. Similarly, each short story is in the third person point of view which allows the reader to gain insight into what the characters are doing in an objective manner. Even though the events told are set in very different settings and eras, both tales still show that man is a sinner and, without God’s grace, can carry out dreadful deeds, like murder. “The Lottery” is a short story in which the theme of despair and fear is predominant. The story is set in a small town were the people are slowly drawing names for a horrible prize. “A sudden hush fell on the crowd as Mr. Summers cleared his throat…” (Jackson, 1948) This quote shows the fear and tenseness surrounding the setting of drawing names and the reader knows something horrible is looming. The plot begins to thicken as the people continue to draw from the hat. Jackson expresses this with statements such as “Seems like we were just doing this last week,” and “Time sure goes fast.” (Jackson, 1948) The fear not only continues to grow but as the reader one is completely wrapped up in what drastic thing is going to happen. This unknown ending is found in many short stories, such as “The Destructors”, where the reader is shocked by what happened. The characters play an important role in bringing out the conflict to the reader...
Words: 776 - Pages: 4
...The lottery 1) Look up the history of lotteries. Why did they originate and why? Lotteries are a popular type of gambling most often run by governments and local states. The lottery includes multiple participants who compete and the winning person receives money as a prize most of the time. The chances of winning are very small and the winnings can be very high, about few millions. Throughout much of the recorded history, the purpose of lotteries was to raise money for funding public works. The lottery games started about 205 to 187 B.C. during the Han Dynasty, which is China today. The reason why the lottery started was to finance government projects, including one of the most famous - the Great Wall of China. Today, in the 21st century, hundreds of years latter the lottery has not changed much. It is still a gambling game, which people choose to play, hoping to win a prize, and the money is still use for government projects. 2) What good questions can you ask as you read the story that will help you understand the story on a deeper level? • Why does the writer mention the pile of stones and how are they connected to the rest of the story? • What is the reason the writer mentions that Mr. Summers had no children and that wife is scold? And why does she mention it with his job? • What was the reason of the hesitation among the villagers when Mr. Summers asked for some help? • Why do the villagers not want to replace the old lottery box with a new one...
Words: 3080 - Pages: 13
...Being turned on by people who you thought were your friends is a very tough feeling. In the short stories The Lottery, and The Possibility of Evil, Shirley Jackson writes about two female protagonists that get betrayed by their fellow townspeople. Shirley Jackson wrote about these events by using various literary terms such as imagery, irony, and tone. Shirley Jackson uses these literary terms in her story to make her readers understand how these two women felt after being turned on. In The Lottery and The possibility of evil both have different types of irony that occurs throughout these stories. In The Lottery Shirley Jackson used situational irony. When people hear the title The Lottery most people would assume that it would be a positive thing but in this story it is the exact opposite. In this lottery you are being picked to be stoned to death in hopes of a good season for your crops. In The possibility of evil Jackson used dramatic irony. The readers knew that Miss.Strangeworth was the one behind all of the anonymous letters, but known of the other characters were aware.For example when Miss.Strangeworth wrote “DIDN’T YOU EVER SEE AN IDIOT CHILD BEFORE? SOME PEOPLE SHOULDN’T HAVE...
Words: 516 - Pages: 3
...“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson (1948) ------------------------------------------------- Group work: Everyone must complete task 1 and choose at least 2 other tasks (one of which you will be presenting in front of class tomorrow). Remember to take notes ------------------------------------------------- Presentations: Some of you will be chosen to present your topic in front of class (5 minutes). You must provide the rest of class with useful notes about your topic: Google Drive: 2xEn Rediger EVIL “The Lottery, NOTES”. TASKS: 1. Analyze and interpret the following quotes from “The Lottery” a. “Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box” (p. 2) b. “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” (p. 4) c. “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones” (p. 6) 2. Themes – what are the central themes in “The Lottery” and why? Your arguments must be well documented. 3. Symbolism – find important symbols (like the title, names of characters etc) in the short story and interpret them. Support your arguments with examples from the text. 4. Foreshadowing – how is the violent ending foreshadowed in the short story? Give examples from the short story. 5. Suspense – how does Shirley Jackson build suspense in the short story? Support your arguments with examples...
Words: 436 - Pages: 2
...“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 giving up the lottery… “Pack...
Words: 419 - Pages: 2
