Point of View and Symbolism in the Lottery by Shirley Jackson (2023)

1474 words | 6 pages

The Lottery is a realistic horror story written by Shirley Jackson. The story is about some villagers in a small New England town who follow the tradition of holding a lottery every year. When the time comes, they like to celebrate with the right rules and the right items to make them feel more comfortable. Everyone must draw a strip from a black box, and the strip with a black dot means that the family is the winner, then draw again; Bill Hutchinson, husband of protagonist Tessie Hutchinson, picks up a piece of paper with a black dot signifying that Tessie was the lottery winner, then starts complaining that the draw was not done correctly. In the end, the townspeople moved to a clean place outside the city and began stoning them to death (Jackson). In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses characterization, symbolism and themes to develop the plot.

304 words | 2 pages

There are many different types in Shirley Jackson's short story The Lottery. The dramatic irony immediately appears in the title of the story, as we associate the lottery with receiving a great prize that will improve that person's life. Although in the story the victor is stoned to death by the people, they catch the reader off guard. Throughout the story, we are alluded to believe that this occasion is a happy time when children play in the village, "squar dances, teen club {and} the Halloween show" (p. 1). Furthermore, it is ironic that when Mr. Hutchinson is invited onstage, his wife becomes concerned and encourages her husband to decide what really leads to her death. Even if he screams

785 words | 4 pages

"La Lotería" is a story about tradition and sacrifice. Although the NY Times article is about victims, they are for different things. Like money versus luck. "La Lotería" talks about this peaceful little town that has no problems and mostly positive dialogues. But this city has a very strange tradition. This tradition is based on a lottery. There would be this raffle and each family would be forced to have their name as is a tradition and the chosen family would have to do another raffle to see who in the family dies. To find out which family member died, give each family member a piece of paper and the piece of paper with the black dot. In the lottery, someone is picking a last name and this year's last name was the Hutchisons. The Hutchinsons were very angry and especially Tessie Hutchinson who started screaming that this was unfair. Then they moved on to the final lottery based on who would die. Each family member was given a piece of paper and the person with the black dot was Tessie Hutchinson who then started screaming that this was unfair and everyone started throwing rocks at her until she died. The whole story is inherently ironic because the tone of the story is right. The dialogue is mostly positive. The title "The Lottery" also gives the reader a positive perception of the story that the lottery is a competition, not an execution, but an execution in the end. In the article he talks

1031 words | 5 pages

Shirley Jackson's The Lottery is a tale of horror and realism. On June 27, on a late summer morning, the residents of a small New England town gathered in the town square for the annual lottery. There is a black box on a stool, and inside the box are notes in the box. Everyone in the family takes a piece of paper out of the black box, the children also take a piece of paper, and everyone is calm and nervous. Then Bill Hutchinson looked at the paper and noticed that it had the black dot. Then Tessie starts complaining that the drawing wasn't done right (Jackson). In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses symbolism, characterization and theme to develop this story.

1191 words | 5 pages

The short story The Lottery was written by Shirley Jackson. This story takes place in a small town where everyone knows each other. In this story, all the townspeople gather for the annual lottery. Everyone in the village is obliged to follow this tradition, even if the result is someone's death. In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses conflict, theme, and irony to craft this short, suspenseful story.

926 words | 4 pages

The Lottery Shirley Jackson's short story The Lottery features an annual lottery draw in a small New England town. Unlike a normal lottery, however, the winner is stoned to death surrounded by his countrymen, wives and children. The lottery appears to have been a custom in the area for over seventy years.

802 words | 4 pages

That character, Tessie Hutchinson, also initially hides accordingly, even making humorous comments like "You wouldn't let me put the dishes in the sink right now, would you?" followed by laughter from others. Villagers (292). When she arrives at the lottery, she exchanges ideas with one of her acquaintances, Ms. Delacroix, who also plays a key role in following up on the issue. After much anticipation, the lottery winner is certain: Hutchinson. Her demeanor quickly changes, exclaiming that it wasn't fair when the rest of the city is after her by stoning. Even Delacroix chooses a rock so big she has to hold it in two

909 words | 4 pages

The Lottery is a short story by Shirley Jackson. The story begins with a vivid description of a summer day in the village and gives us a glimpse of what a good day it is going to be. When the draw begins, the families begin to take the slips out of the black box. When Bill Hutchinson finally removes the piece of paper with the black dot, his wife, Tessie, starts screaming that this isn't fair. When the second draw was just between the Hutchinson family, Tessie takes the same paper with the tip and is stoned to death. Jackson uses imagery and irony, as well as symbolism, to make us aware of the themes of custom, violence, and tradition in this story.

650 words | 3 pages

The Lottery, a short story by Shirley Jackson, is about a lottery that takes place in a small town. The story begins with the whole town gathered in the square where Mr. Summers is playing the lottery. When everyone is together, each family takes a piece of paper out of an old black box and the family with the black mark on the paper is chosen. Then, each member of the family from age 3 draws a piece of paper again, and this time, the person with the black mark on their piece of paper is chosen as the "lucky one" of the lottery. In this tale, Tessie Hutchinson is declared the "winner" of the lottery after the Hutchinson family draws, with the reward being stoned to death.

550 words | 3 pages

Another quote that suggested the crowd was getting nervous was when Mr. Adams was called: "They smiled humorlessly and nervously at each other." It described what the characters were doing, not what their thoughts or intentions were. Shirley Jackson lifted the spirits when Tessie hysterically protested Bill's "winning" selection, withholding information until the last possible second, building the story's suspense and creating a powerful, shocking conclusion. In summary, Shirley Jackson's The Lottery builds suspense by anticipating the terrifying moment through the children's malaise and collecting stones, creating a character who stands out from the crowd, Tessie Hutchinson, the person who saved her husband, but she failed to save. herself. More importantly, hiding the true nature of the story until the very end, leading to Tessie's tragic death.

1737 words | 7 pages

Shirley Jackson is a very popular author known for her story titled 'The Lottery' which always makes the reader think. "La Lotería" was published on June 28, 1948, a few weeks after it was written. Some other pieces written by Jackson are "The Haunting of Hill House", "We have always lives in the Castle", and "Life Among the Savages". Jackson tends to write about terror and mystery and has many other supernaturally themed pieces. Many of the plays written by Jackson are set in a small town that ends in horror. The story "The Lottery" is about a small town that holds an annual lottery where the winner is stoned to death. Many residents of the city know that this is inhumane, but prefer not to speak because her name was not chosen. Jackson uses straightforward characterization to describe all of the town's characters and uses symbolism throughout the story. Not forgetting the vivid description of the scene at the beginning of the story. Shirley

871 words | 4 pages

When 12-year-old Nancy "changes her skirt and carefully [takes] a panty out of the box", the audience is struck by her innocence, which makes her mother's eventual death in the lottery all the more horrific and tragic. 🇧🇷 An even more effective example of Jackson's appeals to pathos comes at the end of the story, where "someone [hands] little Davy Hutchinson some rocks" to join the crowd in stoning his mother. This moment is incredibly moving and reinforces the disgust and pity the public feels when the nature of the lottery is revealed. Little Davy is too young to understand what's going on, and it's reasonable to assume that the rest of the characters have long since lost touch with the lottery's purpose, given the only explanation given to the audience for its quest. Warner's statement is that "there has always been a lottery." This remarkably inadequate apology in support of such a heinous crime ensures public sympathy not only for Tessie's situation, but for Jackson's arguments as well.

809 words | 4 pages

Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" is full of literary elements. The ancient and innocent atmosphere of a small town provides the perfect setting for this ironic tale. Various literary elements are evident throughout the composition, but three specific elements stand out the most. Jackson's unique ability to use tone and style, imagery and subject matter makes this story so compelling.

1033 words | 5 pages

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a rousing yet powerful tale. This story takes place in a small town on a hot summer day in June. The flowers bloom and the townspeople gather for the raffle, a tradition the town maintains every year. When the reader reads the first paragraph, she thinks it's a happy story. The title also says "The Lottery", a word often used to mean winning something or receiving a prize. It's a beautiful summer's day and everything looks perfect, but as the reader reads they realize that this story is not as simple and straightforward as the title might suggest, but rather a dark and terrifying tale. Shirley Jackson reintroduces the theme of how tragic it can be to blindly follow tradition through the use of foresight, symbolism and dialogue.

1220 words | 5 pages

Human nature can be characterized as positive, capable of altruism and kindness that distinguishes man from wild animals; However, human nature has a dark side, namely cruelty, and like any animal it is capable of barbarism. In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, cruelty is part of human nature, and lottery participants demonstrate human cruelty through violence towards one another; Remarkably, they show a desensitization to violence and acceptance of violence, leading to internal dysfunction that continues year after year.