Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Thesis: The short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson found in Perrine's Literature written by Thomas R. Arp is a story full of symbolism.
I. Names are used to represent different aspects of the story.
a. Mr. Summers is a bright and cheerful man. His attitude, demeanor, and name represent the summer. Mr.Graves' name represents what is about to happen. They are sending someone to their grave. These names are obvious as to what they mean.
b. Mrs. Delacroix's name comes from the Latin word for crucifix. Mr. And Mrs. Adams' name is used to represent humanity. These names you have to look a little more deeply into.
II. The items used to hide the lottery are also significant in their own way.
a. A black box is used to holds the slips of paper that will be drawn. The black box represents tradition and a coffin.
b. One of the little slips of paper in the box contains a black dot. Whoever pulls that slip of paper is the winner of the lottery.
III. Even the time period in this is a symbol used by the writer.
a. The story takes place i...
The black box represents virtually the only part of the original ritual that has been preserved since the lottery began. It is there not only to hold the papers that will be drawn, but also to represent to the townsfolk the tradition. The black box is constructed of pieces of the original box, a link to the time when the purpose of the lottery was clear. Most of the old custom has been forgotten: wood chips have been replaced with paper slips, and on one can remember the recital and ritual salute that had previously been part of the lottery; but the o...
In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” the theme of the story is dramatically illustrated by Jackson’s unique tone. Once a year the villagers gather together in the central square for the lottery. The villagers await the arrival of Mr. Summers and the black box. Within the black box are folded slips of paper, one piece having a black dot on it. All the villagers then draw a piece of paper out of the box. Whoever gets the paper with the black dot wins. Tessie Hutchinson wins the lottery! Everyone then closes in on her and stones her to death. Tessie Hutchinson believes it is not fair because she was picked. The villagers do not know why the lottery continues to exist. All they know is that it is a tradition they are not willing to abandon. In “The Lottery,” Jackson portrays three main themes including tradition, treason, and violence.
Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery', is a story that is 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 effective in raising many questions about the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. 'The Lottery' clearly expresses 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 peoples actions, and even in the time and the names of the lucky contestants.
A reason the box symbolizes the town is because of the way the box is handled . Literary critics and author of American writers Jay Parini concur “The box is only handled by the men of the village.” (Parini 122). Mr. Summers, the conductor of the lottery, is in charge of the box. Just like the box, the town is male dominated. Throughout the entire story the men are in charge. It is the men who help out Mr. Summers by holding the box steady while he stirs the papers inside the box and he specifically calls for “some of you fellows” (Jackson 1) addressing the men standing by him. Also the men are the ones who draw up the lists of families while the women wait patiently a distance away. Furthermore, it is the“heads of household” who draw for their families. If the man of the family is unable to draw, then a son can draw in his place. A woman is allowed to draw for the family only on the occasion that no other man is able to draw (Perini 123). A...
The use of symbolism is often a common practice within literature. Symbolism is used in the instance of an object or action being presented through a text with the purpose to reveal a deeper meaning behind that which is displayed. Symbols may represent ideas, objects, beliefs, and so on. Shirley Jackson is one such author who has used symbolism within her literature with one case being her short story, “The Lottery.” In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” symbolism can be seen in many instances in which Jackson is able to address the ways of which society behaves when placed under a common belief and tradition. She accomplishes this by focussing her symbolism towards seemingly commonplace aspects within the story.
When most people play the lottery today, they think about having wealth. Generally, people who win are happy about it whether they win one dollar or a million. The lottery in our society has grown to support education and it is often worth several million dollars. Usually, the winner of the lottery gains a lot of recognition for the money they win. But what would happen if there was a small town where people held a yearly lottery in which the “winner” was the member of the town who was not sacrificed? This question is answered in Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery.” In reading this story, and reading literary criticism about the story, there were many symbols and much symbolism in this story.
The lottery itself is conducted in a black box using paper-slips. The color black represents death, as the future of someone’s life will be decided from it. The dark mood is felt when it is introduced. A general feeling of nervousness is spread throughout the crowd, the younger people in particular.
The black box is the central theme or idea in the story. It symbolizes at
The short story “ The Lottery ” the author Shirley Jackson uses symbolism and imagery to develop a theme the brings forth the evil and inhumane nature of tradition and the danger of when it’s carried out with ignorance.
Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery.” Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
To a first time reader, Shirley Jackson's “The Lottery” seems simply as a curious tale with a shocking ending. After repetitive reading of Jackson's tale, it is clear that each sentence is written with a unique purpose often using symbolism. Her use of symbols not only foreshadow its surprise and disturbing ending but allows the reader to evaluate the community's pervert traditional rituals. She may be commenting on the season of the year and the grass being “richly green” or the toying with the meanings of the character's names but each statement applies to the meaning and lesson behind her story.
Ed. Giroux, Christopher and Brigham Narins. “’The Lottery’”: Shirley Jackson.” Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 87. Detroit: Gale Research, 1995. Pp. 221-236. Print.
In Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" symbols are used to enhance and stress the theme of the story. A symbol is a person, object, action, place, or event that in addition to its literal meaning, suggests a more complex meaning or range of meanings. (Kirszner & Mendell 330) The theme of the story is how coldness and lack of compassion can be exhibited in people in situations regarding tradition and values. That people will do incredibly evil and cruel things just for the sake of keeping a routine. Three of the main symbols that Shirley uses in the story is the setting, black box, and the actual characters names. They all tie together to form an intriguing story that clearly shows the terrible potential if society forgets the basis of tradition. The story also shows many similarities between the culture of the village, and the culture of Nazi Germany. How blind obedience to superiors can cause considerable damage to not only a community, but the entire world. Symbolism plays a large role in "The Lottery" to set the theme of the story and make the reader question traditions.
The black dot represents the winner of the lottery. It is an ironic symbol because a normal lottery is supposed to express a happy and festive time. The villager’s lottery is the promise of death. “Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paper out of her hand. It had a black spot on it” (Jackson 3). Bill Hutchinson wife’s traumatic destiny by how she did not want to lose the lottery. “Indeed she focuses on the unde...
In conclusion, the use of symbolism, irony and setting in the Lottery is very evident, the author indirectly implicates the true darkness within the human heart. The Lottery remains relevant in society today because the overall vagueness of the city allows this story to be true to all people around the world. The short story shows us that humans are evil enough to follow traditions blindly, even if they cause pain and death in loved ones we know. Jackson also centers a lot of symbols and irony on religion and how they affect our culture and decisions. In this the reader can learn that sometimes it’s better for a person to follow his moral compass, and not just blindly follow his evil heart, and the evilness of others.