The Use Of Symbols In The Lottery

The story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson starts off hopefully on a sunny, beautiful day, and the title suggests that it might be a cheerful tale. The entire village gathers for this event, but by the unsettling way the participants act and the official preparation of the lottery, which includes a rule that everyone must be present, the story then unfolds towards a darker ending. It is also mentioned that the purpose of the lottery is for a fruitful harvest. Then finally, a winner, Mrs. Hutchinson, is unwillingly selected, and she is then stoned to death by the village. The grim outcome may be shocking, but Jackson leaves several small details throughout that connect to the conclusion. She includes many religious props, such as the practice

'." she identifies a few other important symbols such as the Sun and grass Shirley opens the story with (Jackson 133). She connects the both of them to fertility and youth which fits them well with the theme of the villagers performing a religious ritual (Schaub). The Sun being talked about at the very beginning provides more evidence that this event is a Summer solstice practice. Many cultures would worship their version of the Sun God at this event or at the very least celebrate it on Midsummer’s Day-the period of time when the Sun was in the sky the longest. The grass and Sun’s representation for youth, especially the grass’s whose greenness is used to mark freshness and inexperience, work well with the children in this story and how the lottery affects them. Even though they are young and cannot fully understand the implications of the sacrifice. Whatever religion the society practices in this story, they are like most other religions where they submit the children to follow from a young age. Perhaps to prevent their questioning of the strange practices and make it easier to have loyal followers. The violence of the ritual makes it perfect for the thrill seeking religion, with one of Mrs. Hutchinson’s kids even wanting to stone her. It shows they are more loyal to the practice and their religion than too their family, solidifying the power that the government in this story holds

Most religions have been set up to be patriarchal, Christians represent God as a man in art, and the selection of uniformly male popes and preachers support this claim. Fritz spots many different examples in the essay that hint at the patriarchal undertones. One would be the boys at the beginning gathering rocks while the girls are only chattering amongst themselves. Another is the way Tessie’s husband tells her to “shut up” after their family is selected and Tessie complains (Oehlschlaeger). Jackson’s decision to make the society in “The Lottery” patriarchal makes sense as Christians have used it as a dependable tool to stay powerful, by making half of the population voiceless. Anne Hutchinson’s story is a great example of this