Cruelty: The Rise And Fall Of Jackson's Dream By Shirley Jackson

“Mother,” he cries, seeing her rise to her feet. He leaps into her arms, in which she did not flinch from the throbbing pain, nor the stickiness of the blood on her hands and

In Flannery O’Connor’s, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” and Shirley Jackson's, “The Lottery,” both short stories deal with man’s inhumanity in different situations, and ending with a similar consequence.

Mary Jackson was born April 9, 1921, Hampton, Virginia, U.S.A. She was a math genius and an aerospace engineer. most importantly she was the first African American female engineer to work and be the first flight engineers for NASA.

History and literature relate to one another and are influenced by the other. Texts are usually interconnected with a concept and a period in history. Beloved by Toni Morrison which was published in 1987, and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs which was published in 1861 are texts that discuss a similar topic. Both texts are written in a time where segregation and slavery were present. Literary elements such as characterization, style, tone and point of view are the crucial techniques which can assist in the understanding of the readers. Like most literature writings both texts create a moral of the narrative and give the readers a message they can take from the reading.

What is humanity's true nature? Are people basically good, or basically evil? Over the centuries, many people have tried to find the answer to this question, to no avail. Author Shirley Jackson takes a definite stance on the issue throughout her work, arguing that people are basically evil. Many times, this theme is obviously stated in her stories, but sometimes it is woven in more subtly. In her short stories "The Lottery,” "Elizabeth," and "Flower Garden," Shirley Jackson uses color to symbolize the cruelty and evil common in everyday life.

A democratic society was on the rise and many Americans believed in equality but ignored enslaved African Americans. Government moved out of the houses of rich men and into the houses of the middle and lower- classes; education improved, suffrage laws were enacted, and newspapers were increasingly circulated. The political parties greatly changed; third parties began to rise, four candidates were chosen for one party, and Andrew Jackson lost his first election to John Adams. Adams lost his reelection to Jackson; both of whom created smear campaigns for each other, this improved voter turnout. Jackson represented the common man, throughout his presidency he served

Ted Bailey of the University of Miskolc, interpreted Shirley Jackson’s, “The Lottery” in his work "Sacred Violence in Shirley Jackson's ‘The Lottery’". In this work, Bailey reasons that “The Lottery” is a story which encompasses violence through tradition, an agricultural fertility ritual, and scapegoating. In the first instance, Bailey places emphasis on tradition in “The Lottery”. For example, one of the main characters, Old Man Warner stands for the voice of an older generation who does not believe in new and innovative traditions. The placing of stones in Little Davy’s hand so that he also has to play a part in the lottery can be seen as a component of prolonging the lottery for future generations. Not only are the young taught the rules

Touched by his friends’ concern, Jackson gave Harry a nod since they had a job to do and he wasn’t ready to go home. In the back of his mind, he knew Jim died searching for him, never giving up hope, even though tasked with another mission. All he had left was his career and he intended to stick it out in Vietnam until the end or at least until the army forced him to go home, whichever came first. Since the base doctor threatened to pull his ticket last week and gave him a drop-dead date to gain weight, it might be sooner rather than the very end since he’d lost weight this last week.

Even in his agitated state, Jackson could still think and reason, so when he got off the treadmill and found his path blocked, he looked at his sweat-soaked clothes as he walked into the bathroom while glaring at the men and locked the door. Inside he stripped and sat on the toilet for a few minutes taking care of the pressure in his gut, ignoring the banging on the door as he climbed into the shower. As a result, he realized his concentration level far exceeded the amount he could establish in his cell at Ft. Bragg, along with his ability to deal with some of the pressure, so he was not a complete basket case like before at Bragg. Shaking his head under the warm water with his anger focused on the pain he kept reliving, Jackson knew until he could put everything in perspective he had to focus on his horse and nothing else if he wanted to maintain his sanity or what was left of it.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, is Shirley Jackson’s final novel. It tells the story of two sisters, Merricat and Constance Blackwood, who live with their Uncle Julian in an enormous New England house. Merricat and Constance’s family (their parents, brother, and aunt) were all killed six years before. Constance was accused of the murder of her other family members, but there was not enough evidence to prove she was guilty. The only ones left to live in the house were Merricat, Constance, and their Uncle Julian. They are disgraced by their town and some town members even fear them. The Blackwood sisters try to avoid going into town as much as possible. The two sisters are perceived as complete outsiders that do not follow social norms; their bond as sisters are strong despite having the little family they have, their mental illness, and their fear of the outside world.

While watching Ms. Jackson's interaction with her children and listening to her express the begin of the day with her 5:30 AM devotion, it is obvious Ms. Jackson acknowledged her calling to become a foster parent 22 years ago. Calling signifies more than a 9-5 job; it is an energy that epitomizes her identity as a humble woman. It is an obligation that keeps her occupied throughout the day and even active during the evening when experts give their professional care to the children. Amazingly, Ms. Jackson said, "I received an infant, and I plan to realize what's wrong." In my conclusion, that is a powerful proclamation.

She looked so small, so defeated and it was all because of me. Her enthusiasm for reading dampened, the light behind her eyes dim. Like the worst type of criminal stealing bread from the poor, I had stolen the burning passion for education my mother had once possessed. She was innocent, but I was not. With no makeup to conceal them, sleepless bags under her eyes stood out on her pale face. She appeared delicate, a word that before the accident I would have never used in relation to my mother. The terrible ocean of grief pulled back it’s debilitating waves, leaving salty tears clinging to my face. The stream of emotion pulled back with it whatever positive attitude I had. In its place was left hatred like no other. A hated for the world, hatred for myself. I didn’t want to watch this anymore, I couldn’t bare to look, unable to lay eyes on the life I had ruined by destroying my

Jackson attended the University of Rochester but didn’t graduate. She dropped out due to depression and grappled with mental health issues, including psychosomatic illnesses, her entire life.

She tried her best to put away the emotions she had about the story and just write it, but it seemed with every word she wrote she felt more guilty about the story. Her heart seemed to sink lower with every sentence, and her mind was racing as she furiously wrote out the story, until “So that’s the end of the lesson. Great work on your stories, I’ll talk to you tomorrow”. She felt

“ I have to teach my half-witted daughter a lesson” his gaze intensifies. Into this utterly terrifying blank stare. His eyes morph from a gorgeous brown, to an alarming black. In an instant is gigantic hand met with my, now tear covered face. I had tasted a metallic substance in my mouth. This act of undisputed violence, changed me forever. I was no longer hope. I was a broken girl who longed for someone to rescue her. Yet, there was no one to save me from this life.