Shirley Caesar Essays

  • Appreciation from Son to Mother in Tupac Shakur's Song, Dear Mama

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    relate to. Tupac Shakur among very few artists has lyrically display admiration for his mother. Artists such as Boyz II Men, Gyptian, and Richie Spice have also affectionately dedicated lyrical tribute to their mothers. In contrast, songwriter Shirley Caesar wrote a song which begins with a brief dialogue, regarding a young man charging his mother for a few chores in which he completed. ...

  • Comparing Shirley Jackson's The Lottery and O. Henry’s "A Municipal Report"

    1820 Words  | 4 Pages

    The residents of a certain undisclosed town in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and the nameless narrator found in O. Henry’s “A Municipal Report” are portrayed with completely different attributes by their respective creators. While Jackson introduces her readers to an “everyday” crowd of neighborly villagers in their preparation for a lottery, O. Henry presents his audience to a man who appears to be emotionally detached from society. Nevertheless, the outward appearances of the characters in these

  • Irony in the Story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

    643 Words  | 2 Pages

    Irony in the Story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” irony is an underlying theme used throughout the story. The setting is introduced as a “clear and sunny” day, but ends with the brutal death of a housewife (715). The two people who essentially run the town, Mr. Graves and Mr. Summers, also have ironic names. In addition, the characters and the narrator make ironic statements throughout the story. The plot as a whole in “The Lottery” is filled with ironic twists

  • Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

    906 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The Lottery.” As a modern-day parable or fable, which obliquely addresses a variety of themes, including the dark side of human nature, the danger of ritualized behavior, and the potential for cruelty when the individual submits to the mass will. Shirley Jackson also addresses cruelty by the citizen’s refusal to stand up and oppose “The Lottery.” Violence and cruelty is a major theme in “The Lottery.” The theme in “The Lottery” is violence and cruelty. Violence and cruelty is a major theme because

  • Shirley Jackson's Symbolism in The Lottery

    1622 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shirley Jackson's Symbolism in The Lottery 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

  • Hidden Horrors in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hidden Horrors in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" presents conflict on more than one level. The most important conflict in the story is between the subject matter and the way the story is told. From the beginning Jackson takes great pains to present her short story as a folksy piece of Americana. Slowly it dawns on us, the terrible outcome of what she describes. From the first sentence of the story, The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny

  • The Life and Literary Works of Shirley Jackson

    4279 Words  | 9 Pages

    Shirley Jackson was born on December 14, 1919 to Leslie and Geraldine Jackson. Her surroundings were comfortable and friendly. Two years after Shirley was born, her family with her newborn brother moved from San Francisco to Burlingame, California, about thirty miles away. "According to her mother, Shirley began to compose verse almost as soon as she could write it" (Friedman, 18). As a child, Shirley was interested in sports and literature. In 1930, a year before she attended Burlingame High School

  • Names in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the leaders and important man of the town is Mr. Summers.  Summer is a  season of the year.  It is the season of growing, the season of life.  His name  represents partly the old pagan fertility ritual because the harvest that is being sacrificed to is being grown in the summer.  This is supposedly, according to Old Man Warner, what the lottery held each year was all about.  But, in this case, the harvest should be fine because the setting of the story tells us that “the flowers were blossoming

  • Tradition in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    Tradition in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery Shirley Jackson?s insights and observations about society are reflected in her shocking and disturbing short story The Lottery. Jackson reveals two general attitudes in this story: first is the shocking tendency for societies to select a scapegoat and second is the idea that communities are victims of social tradition and rituals. Anyone with knowledge of current events must be aware of times when society has seized upon a scapegoat as means of resolution

  • Tradition or Cruelty in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

    2231 Words  | 5 Pages

    Tradition or Cruelty in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" satirizes barbaric traditions in a supposedly civilized village. As the story begins, the villagers appear to be fairly civilized and carry on fairly modern lifestyles. This is assumed by the men's discussion of planting, rain, tractors, and taxes. The lottery was outdated to such a degree that some may think that the tradition is primal competition of anthropoid beasts. On the other hand, some think that carrying

  • Analysis of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

    506 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

  • The Use of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Use of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson In "The Lottery," Shirley Jackson uses symbolism to make us aware of the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. The story starts off on a beautiful summer day in a small town. The author describes the day as very euphoric but strikes a contrast between the atmosphere of the town and the atmosphere of the people gathered in the square. The atmosphere is subdued, where the children are "gathered around quietly

  • Essay on Shirley Jackson's The Lottery - Evils of Society Exposed

    857 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Evils of Society Exposed in The Lottery In Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery," what appears to be an ordinary day in a small town takes an evil turn when a woman is stoned to death after "winning" the town lottery. The lottery in this story reflects an old tradition of sacrificing a scapegoat in order to encourage the growth of crops. But this story is not about the past, for through the actions of the town, Jackson shows us many of the social ills that exist in our own lives. In today’s society

  • Publication of Charlotte Bronte’s Shirley

    1523 Words  | 4 Pages

    Publication of Charlotte Bronte’s Shirley Background on Charlotte Bronte Maria Brandwell Bronte gave birth to Charlotte, her third child out of six within the span of seven years, on April 12, 1816 in Bradford, Yorkshire. Charlotte began her schooling at the Clergy Daughter’s School on August 10, 1824, but due to harsh conditions at the school she returned after only one year. Upon returning home she was schooled by her aunt, and then attended Roe Head in 1831. Charlotte struggled finding

  • Irony of The Setting in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    Irony of The Setting in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson The setting set forth by Shirley Jackson in the beginning of The Lottery creates a mood of peacefulness and tranquillity. This setting also creates an image in the mind of the reader, the image of a typical town on a normal summer day. Furthermore, Shirley Jackson uses the setting in The Lottery to foreshadow an ironic ending. First, Shirley Jackson begins The Lottery by establishing the setting. To begin, she tells the reader

  • Point of View in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

    572 Words  | 2 Pages

    Point of View in The Lottery Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" uses the third-person dramatic point of view to tell a story about an un-named village that celebrates a wicked, annual event. The narrator in the story gives many small details of the lottery taking place, but leaves the most crucial and chilling detail until the end: the winner of the lottery is stoned to death by the other villagers. The use of the third-person point of view, with just a few cases of third-person omniscient thrown

  • Religious and Traditional Symbols in the Lottery by Shirley Jackson

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    and Traditional Symbols in the Lottery Religious groups encourage and enforce conformity of their social norms and beliefs upon their members. Religious traditions are usually passed on from parent to child at an early age. In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson reveals the tradition of the lottery and how all of the villagers conform to the ritual of a human sacrifice. Growing up with an exceptionally religious father I can relate to way of thinking of the villagers that traditions are accepted without

  • Analysis of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    Analysis of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson was written in 1948. The story takes place in a village square of a town on June 27th. The author does not use much emotion in the writing to show how the barbaric act that is going on is look at as normal. This story is about a town that has a lottery once a year to choose who should be sacrificed, so that the town will have a plentiful year for growing crops. Jackson has many messages about human nature in this short

  • Essay on Shirley Jackson's The Lottery - Inhumanity Exposed

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    Inhumanity Exposed in The Lottery The story entitled "The Lottery," written by Shirley Jackson is an intriguing and shocking parable. "The Lottery" is set in a small village on a clear summer day. Written in objective third person point of view, "The Lottery" keeps the reader in suspense as the story progresses. The story begins June 27th on a "clear and sunnyfull-summer day." From the very beginning, irony occurs in the story. The author describes the day as "clear and sunny, with the fresh

  • Comparing The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin

    1244 Words  | 3 Pages

    Comparing "The Lottery by Shirley Jackson" and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin The differences between "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin seem relatively minor when compared to the striking similarities they contain in setting, symbols, and theme. Each of the stories begin with a description of a beautiful summer day. "The flowers were blooming profusely and the grass was richly green"(para