"The Lottery", a short story, by Shirley Jackson is a very suspenseful yet shocking read, which focus on how tragic it can be to blindly follow a tradition. The story is set in a small town, on the summer morning of June 27th. The story begins with the towns people gathering in the town square to carry out a lottery. The author explains that this is a long standing tradition in the local towns, where people gather every year to conduct a lottery. However, as the story progresses the reader come to realize that this story is not as simple and straight forward as the title suggests. Rather, it is dark and horrifying cautionary tale about repercussions of blindly following traditions and how this problem is exacerbated due to societal pressures. …show more content…
The narrator uses Black box as a main symbol to articulate the danger of blindly following the tradition of conducting a lottery which ends up with death of one person from the village every year. The colour of black box symbolizes the death. In addition to that the shabbier colour of box shows some of the stuff of lottery has been lost. The author keeps the reader puzzled and curious about the direction of the story. She uses literary devices, such as foreshadowing and symbols, to introduce the possible story line. She also uses here narration style to heighten suspense and make the reader wonder what will happen next.
Shirley Jackson uses black box as a physical object which connects the village people to the past tradition. As the author states in the story that, "there was a story that present box had been made with some pieces of the box that had preceded it, the one had been constructed when the first people settled down to make a
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The author used the box with black colour, because in most cultures the black colour is associated with evil and death. Moreover, when the author presents the lottery box in the story the townspeople maintain the distance from the proximity of the black lottery box. To make this point the narrator states that "the villagers kept their distances, leaving a space between themselves and the stool"(Jackson 212) on which the black box is lying. In addition to that she also gives the sense to the reader that people of village are in terror from black box when Mr. Summer set the back box on the stool asks the people to help him to hold the box so that Mr. Summer can mix the slips inside the box, " there was a hesitation before two men, Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, came forward to hold the box" (Jackson 212). This foreshadows that something terrible might be awaiting the townspeople 's fate and gives the readers some indication as to the direction the story 's plot. As the story progresses, the slips are put in the box for the lottery draw and the people don 't seem to be thrilled about the possibility that they might win the lottery, further suggesting that the lottery isn 't what it seems to be at the face value. After the names go into the box, whoever draws a slip with black dot on it, his or her family is the victim to go for second round and one of them who get the slip with black dot
“The Lottery” is a short story about an event that takes place every year in a small village of New England. When the author speaks of “the lottery” he is referencing the lottery of death; this is when the stoning of a village member must give up his or her life. The villagers gather at a designated area and perform a customary ritual which has been practiced for many years. The Lottery is a short story about a tradition that the villagers are fully loyal to and represents a behavior or idea that has been passed down from generation to generation, accepting and following a rule no matter how cruel or illogical it is. Friends and family become insignificant the moment it is time to stone the unlucky victim.
The moral of the story is the harsh traditions that people faced in society. Shirley Jackson expressed negative tradition throughout the story. The villagers are controlled by an outdated tradition, which controls the people life either to live or die. Many people go through hard times in their life without knowing their consequences, and the characters are suffering from pain they do not fight against it. When the narrator says “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones” (262) the stone symbols how the people suffer in pain, death and the goal in society is everyone is equal. In addition, “The Lottery” symbolizes luck and the slim chances of a person to
The theme of the story “The Lottery” is too not follow a tradition blindly and understand the reasoning. In the story it even states that the villagers don’t really know much about the lottery’s origin but try to preserve the tradition. In the beginning of the story the setting and the people of the story seem to be very peaceful and exciting. Everyone is getting ready for the lottery and seems to be important. Later we find out how dark and evil this tradition is. It’s very ironic how the town is prospering and loving, but in the end they do this without understanding. The symbolism in the text is the black dot. Whoever has the black dot for the lottery “wins”, but this actually represents death.
The black box represents a people’s willingness to hold on to tradition even if it’s sick and twisted. This box is run down and falling apart yet they keep it because that is just what their supposed to do. The color of black is a symbol as well. As it so often does, it represents death and is seen on the box and on the slips of paper handed out which lets the reader see that this is not a happy time in the town. The lottery its self is a symbol of peoples willingness to follow tradition. The lottery has taken place for as long as anyone can remember which is why no one questions its validity or purpose. Even when other towns have dropped the tradition they refuse to because it’s what is supposed to happen and it will not be
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Americans day after day live much of their lives following time-honored traditions that are passed down from one generation to another. From simple everyday cooking and raising children, to holidays and other family rituals, tradition plays a significant role in how they go about their everyday lives. In Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Lottery," the citizens of a small farming town follow one such tradition. A point is made regarding human nature in relation to tradition. The story begins on a beautiful summer afternoon.
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 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...
The lottery consists of a black box full of blanks pieces of paper and one marked piece of paper. The person who draws the marked piece of paper is the one who endures the horrible fate of being stoned. This black box is very significant because it an s symbol of tradition. Just like tradition, it has been used for many years. Because it symbol in this story is the black box, which is used in the lottery process. . The box is a symbol of tradition and just like tradition; it has been used for many years. “ There was a story that the present box had been made with some pieces of the box that had preceded it, the one that had been constructed when the first people settled down to make a village.” It is old and needs to be replaced with a new one but none ...
Shirley Jackson sets out to weave a disturbing story that reveals the underlying blackness of a seemingly happy community in, “The Lottery”. Jackson masterfully uses writing strategies to craft a solidly thrilling story. The story’s voice is that of an objective third view that plunges the reader into the sleepy little village. Author Shirley Jackson sets her readers right into the middle of a small village and sets about weaving her story into the very mind of her audience. “The Lottery” contains several smartly used writing techniques. Each of these techniques breathes life into the story. Sprinkled throughout the story are instances of figurative language that opens the readers mind to the possibility. One use of figurative language is imagery and another is the author’s use of symbols. Jackson use of the third person point of view allows for an unobstructed picture of the occurrences in the village, letting readers draw some of their own conclusions. One of the best uses of writing techniques, by the author, is the foreshadowing throughout the story. Shirley Jackson masterfully uses several writing techniques to craft a solidly thrilling literary work.
In “The Lottery”, Shirley Jackson uses the symbol of the run down black box and Mr. Summer’s influential role in the society to emphasize how societies can get into harmful habits if they base their identity in traditions instead of morals . In the short story, the characters all participate in a lottery to determine who will be stoned that year. They all pull a piece of paper out of the black box, and the person with the mark on the paper is chosen. This box was the village’s strongest strongest tradition which represents the lottery; the defining aspect of this society. Even though it wasn’t in good condition, and “grew shabbier each year” and “was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood
Even the introduction of Mr. Summers, who conducts the lottery, adds to the picture of the setting as a perfect little town -- Mr. Summers, after all, emcees “square dances” and “the teen program!” Gradually, though, the tone of the piece begins to seem ominous, as the black box is described and citizens of the village are reluctant to come near the box to aid
Change seems to be closer than expected. Many of the other villages changed their traditions and got rid of the lottery. This sparks some controversy in the society. Some villagers strongly believed that it was time for the lottery to end. Others did not want to part with their cultural traditions, some even believing that the lottery brought good harvest. Unfortunately for Tessie Hutchinson, the traditions do not change in time to spare her life. The author’s description of the symbols in the short story help to reveal the layers of the society in which the lottery exists. Throughout the short story, The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, the author’s depiction of the black box, Davy Hutchinson, the main character’s son, and the lottery itself help to convey the idea that fear of change can impede evolution in a
The black on the box itself is a universal symbol that represents death. The black box also represents a platform of life or death for each individual townsperson at the lottery and holds the tragic and evil acts of murder that has been practiced in the past and the future ones. According to James M. Gibson’s, “An Old Testament Analogue for “The Lottery”", the three-legged stool represents the Christian Trinity that consists of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The three-legged stool holds the box that represents death and has the fate of every individual that lives in the town inside of it. According to Kurt J. Fickert’s, “Dürrenmatt’s “The Visit” and Job, The Lottery the Christian Trinity has a significant meaning to the story because they manipulate the religion to support the murdering of an innocent civilian, making it a normality to stone someone to death for religious
To start, Shirley Jackson speaks about the importance of the black box and the relevance it has on the townspeople. The black box is seen as a symbol of fear and subserv...
The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, revolves around a series of traditions that no one seems to follow anymore. This story begins by explaining how the lottery process works. It takes place on June 27 of every year. All the people of the village gather in the town's square- husbands, wives, and children. Each head of household pulls a small piece of paper out of a black box. All but one piece of paper will be blank. The piece with the black-penciled spot is the piece that will send someone in that family to death. After that piece of paper is pulled from the box the members of that family must draw. The member that pulls the spotted paper out gets stoned to ...