The Lottery By Shirley Jackson Literary Analysis - 1042 Words

Shirley Jackson s ‘The Lottery’ is a classic American short story known for its shocking twist ending and its insightful commentary on cultural traditions. It was originally printed in The New Yorker magazine in 1948.The tale begins with all the villagers gathering in the town square for the annual lottery as if it were just another day. Children are playing with stones while the adults swap stories of farming and gossip. It s not until the lottery begins, over halfway through the story that we start to suspect that all is not as it seems. Literature continues to be a means to expose the darkness of that inequality (Gioia, 2013). Writers carry the burden of exposing the darkness that lies at the heels of ignorance as Jackson so†¦show more content†¦Hutchinson is further marginalized by it. The women band together, in what looks like fear, as the first participants in this stoning or brutal act: â€Å"Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones. The pile of stones the boys had made earlier was ready; there were stones on the ground with the blowing scraps of paper that had come out of the box Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. Come on, she said. Hurry up.( (Jackson) The above passage shows that the sisterhood was among the first to pick up the stones to kill their fellow sister. Jackson clearly portrays illustrates that women standing among men participates in the demise of another woman fearing her own life. Often in a woman’s quest for equality; women turn on each other afraid of retaliating in a male dominant society. Thus the suppression continues and one woman ends up standing alone. Also, the other question every critic must consider is what the story means. The only real consensus on this point is that the exact meaning of the story is not possible. There is even a question by some as to whether the story is meant to have an exact meaning. Yet, many critics also agree it is the discussion the story encourages which gives it much of its value rather than a complete understanding. The primary concern was theShow MoreRelatedLiterary Analysis Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson910 Words   |  4 PagesLiterary Analysis of the Short Story â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson Shirley Jackson explores the subject of tradition in her short story â€Å"The Lottery†. A short story is normally evaluated based on its ability to provide a satisfying and complete presentation of its characters and themes. Shirley describes a small village that engages in an annual tradition known as â€Å"the lottery†. Narrating the story from a third person point of view, Shirley uses symbolism, foreshadowing and suspense to illustrateRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson1534 Words   |  7 Pages Literary Analysis: â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson is a short story written in 1948. Due to World War II ending around this time, her story took some strong criticism. The people at that time wanted uplifting stories, and this story is the very opposite because of its underlying theme of tradition and conformity. â€Å"The Lottery† shows that no matter the tradition or belief, people will not stray from their daily routine because humans are creatures of habitRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson870 Words   |  4 Pagesbubbly; oppositions of one another. This is how one of our honored authors, Shirley Jackson, writes her short stories. She uses positive and giggly descriptions at first, and then twists the rope to dark and bizarre ending. The short stories,†Charles† and â€Å"The Lottery†, are examples of this format. In the first short story, Laurie seems like a good boy but really, he’s not. In the second short story, the pe ople in this lottery seem polite, but they are cruel and awful people. The protagonist in thisRead More Shirley Jacksons The Lottery 946 Words   |  4 PagesShirley Jackson is said to be one of the most â€Å"brilliant and influential authors of the twentieth century.† â€Å"Her fiction writing is some of the most important to come out of the American literary canon.† (http://shirleyjackson.org/Reviews.html) Jackson wrote many short stories and even some books. They are more on the dark, witchlike side, however. Kelleher explains that Jackson stated in some interviews that she practiced magic. No one really knows if she was serious while practicing witchcraftRead MoreUse of Symbols in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson981 Words   |  4 Pagesstrive to do what’s right, and to show our strength against our greatest rivals. In the short story â€Å"The Lottery† there was a village that practice an ancient sacrificial killing for something in return from the gods. In this case, what the villagers received in return were well grown crops for food. The whole village would gather up once a year to have a traditional sacrifice they called The Lottery. The villagers would have their kids choose out stones for the village. Once they are all together withRead MoreAn Unkindness of Tradition: Shirley Jackson ´s Biography1624 Words   |  7 Pagesform is that of suspense and mystery. Shirley Jackson takes mystery to a distinctive level. She depicts an era that has not yet been revealed. By looking at the background of this author, analyzing her writing and responding personally you will better enhance your learning experience and connection with this type of dark literature. Author Biography Shirley Jackson was an extremely well liked American author during the 1900s. However, in recent years literary critics, as well as the education systemRead MoreThe Unexpected Surprise of Violence1009 Words   |  5 Pagesvalued once risks are taken, but the outcome is never expected. Shirley Jackson, reader of witchcraft books, horrifies people with her perspective on the understanding of merciless rituals that kept communities at ease. Shirley Jackson develops her theme of unexpected violence in her short story â€Å"The Lottery† through the use of irony, symbolism, and denouement. On a summer day in a small town in the short story, â€Å"The Lottery†, Jackson takes advantage of the peaceful environment and adds a convolutedRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesWhen most people play the lottery today, they think about having wealth. Generally, people who win are happy about it whether they win one dollar or a million. The lottery in our society has grown to support education and it is often worth several million dollars. Usually, the winner of the lottery gains a lot of recognition for the money they win. But what would happen if there was a small town where people held a yearly lottery in which the â€Å"winner† was the member of the town who was not sacrificedRead MoreEssay on The Lottery by Shirley Jackson: an Analysis1522 Words   |  7 PagesKouyialis EN102: Composition II Professor Eklund The Lottery by Shirley Jackson: An Analysis The short story â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson was written in 1948 and takes place in a small town, on the 27th of June. In this story, the lottery occurs every year, around the summer solstice. All families gather together to draw slips of paper from a black box. When reading this story, it is unclear the full premise of the lottery until near the end. The heads of households are the firstRead MoreAnalysis Of Jackson s The Lottery899 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† In the story â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, we see the different literary elements she uses to unfold her story. Literary elements help readers to interpret and appreciate the works of a writer. In this Essay I will show you the three most prominent literary elements that were used, and how they add to the suspense, and surprise of the story. These literary elements are point of view, theme, and tone and style. The first literary element of this story is