Gender Roles In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Gender Roles in “The Lottery”

Shirley Jackson presents the controversial in the gender roles and the position of the two genders in the story of “The Lottery”. The book creates the impression that the women in society are considered to be inferiors and not important since they are dominant and most of them are ignored while men on the other side are seen as the supreme being and people who have the authority over everyone in the society. Women can’t make a decision and can’t win an argument, but men’s decision, and arguments are final. This point is proven by the author as he illustrates by putting it across through some devices like the use of clever symbol, interesting plot development and the use of prevalent theme in the story. The importance

The most surprising thing is that her members of her family participated in her death. The death of this poor woman shows that women in the society are not allowed to fight for their civil rights, and they do not have equal opportunity as men. Tessie’s death is an evidence of ill treatment that women go through in our societies. In this case, her murder does not just look like a normal murder but the murder of a woman fighting for her civil rights. Her husband, who in a real sense is expected to support fully his wife shouted at her when she raised her voice saying that the lottery was unfair, and this shows; he says, “Shut up, Tessie” (Jackson, 5). This shows how women are desperate, and their position in the society is not recognized. Women have no one on their side and more so someone who they can depend on not even their family members and their fellow women. Women in this society are not allowed to have any opinion on what their husbands had to say or rather have to say anything. The position of women in the society is to be loyal to their men and their

In arguments, the women in the society did not have the authority or rather the power to speak or argue with men. For instance, the Old Man Warner and Mrs. Adams about the truth behind the lottery and its existence, Mrs. Adam’s ideas are neglected, and no one has interest in what she says. This act showed that women did not have any role or authority over societal things and issues, but their roles were set for family businesses and gossip. The negligent of the women roles and ideas is also portrayed during the discussion about the fairness of the lottery process. When Mrs. Tessie tried to argue over the process, her ideas and arguments are neglected, and she ends up stoned. Everyone in the society is against her even her husband. This acts also shows that women did not have a role in this society. Men were the supreme beings in this society while women are just supposed to look over their families and not participate in such incidences. This is because Mrs. Tessie’s husband could not even wait for her or inform her about such occasion, Mrs. Tessie says on page 2, “Thought my old man was out back stacking