The Shock Value in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O' Connor

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Sometimes when reading a story, suddenly a shock appears. The shock usually is created in stories that seem to be normal but then take a turn in a different direction. In many forms of literature authors set up the story without ever letting the readers know that in the end of the story something completely different will happen. Authors create a shock value to make the story more interesting and to keep the audience wondering what will happen next and why something did occur. In "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O' Connor, both authors use different literary techniques to create a shock value that gets the theme of their stories across to the audience. In "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, Jackson uses setting and point of view to create a shock value that gets the theme of blindly following tradition across to the audience. Jackson introduces the setting of the story as a harmless, quaint, and little village on a nice summer day. Jackson writes, "The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full summer day..."(263). She describes a setting which conveys a happy mood. The positive description of the setting leads the audience to believe that the lottery that will take place will be completely opposite than what it really is. Jackson also describes the setting as being a small village. The population of the small village is key to the theme of following tradition. Tradition is key in small towns and villages. Traditions are what keep villages linked together. Jackson however uses the setting of the small village to poke fun of the way the characters in her story follow their own tradition. Tradition for the characters in this village is something they have be... ... middle of paper ... ... in life"(430), meaning killing has stopped bringing him happiness. O' Connors description of the grandmother and the Misfit creates a shock to the audience when both character become recipients of grace. O' Connor and Jackson both use different literary techniques in their stories to create a shock value that gets the theme of both of their stories across. The shock that is created in both stories really is a shock to the audience since the way the stories are set up, it is not expected. The audience did not expect the lottery in Jackson's story to be an event that stones humans. The audience did not expect both the grandmother and the Misfit to receive grace since both of their actions and personalities have been so cruel. Both authors create a shock because it not only helps relay the them but it also leaves the audience intrigued and wondering why in the end.

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