Essay On Symbolism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

The theme of the story “The Lottery” is blind acceptance of something just because it is considered tradition. In Jackson’s “The Lottery”, symbols are utilized to help show the theme. The name of the story, “The Lottery”, itself is a symbol. The term lottery can be viewed, by most, as a good thing, a hope in winning, but winning the lottery takes on a very different, very dark meaning in Jackson’s story. Also, the names of the characters are symbols as well. For example, Graves is a name that would portray death and Summers is a bright and cheerful name. Also, the name Old Man Warner would show tradition. Next, is the use of the black box and the black dot on the paper. The color black is showing darkness, evil, and death. The tradition of the black box is a symbol, in the fact that it is worn and faded, but still used by the villagers. Shirley Jackson conveys the theme very clearly through the use of symbols. In the end, the villagers are shown to be evil and murderous just because of tradition. The villagers do not seem to have a problem with murdering others within the lottery because it is what they have always done and no one is going to declare that what they are doing is wrong. This shows the reader that following blindly can have dangerous consequences.

This meaning the black box had gone through many deaths and many lotteries may leading to the first lottery for their village. Shmoop notes “They believe that this box may in part be made up of shards of the previous boxes, back to the original

The black box represents virtually the only part of the original ritual that has been preserved since the lottery began. It is there not only to hold the papers that will be drawn, but also to represent to

Symbolically the battered black box represents the death that it brings to the community as well as a worn out tradition. The box is mentioned repeatedly throughout the story, which is a sign of its importance, although we are kept in the dark about its ultimate function until the very end. It is described as "…no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places [is] faded or stained." (Jackson 75). This seems to also describe the lottery itself- old, faded, and stained with the blood of all those who have died in years past. Ironically, the black box used in the story was said not to be the original box and the papers that they used were substitutes for the old wood chips. This is a sign that the tradition is so old and meaningless that it can be constantly added to or taken away from. "Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box…[and] every year the subject was allowed to fade off without anything being done" (Jackson 75). Perhaps Mr. Summers's idea symbolizes a need for a new tradition.

The shabby black box represents the tradition of the lottery. It is a major part of the village because it is breaking apart, but the villagers are still using it. However, they are renovating it to keep it from falling apart. “The black box grew shabbier each year: by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained” (Jackson 2). The box may still be deteriorating, but the villagers are trying their hardest to keep it in shape. Gahr explains how the black box is significant to the story when she says that, “This box is a symbol for those in the town because it is one of the only connections to the origin of the lottery… the lost meanings of the tradition have in many ways made that tradition more powerful, because you can't question a tradition once it has moved beyond reason to simply the way things are done” (Gahr 1). The black box may be a symbol of evil, but the villagers are still using and renovating it because they are just blindly following a tradition.

“The Lottery” has many symbols that help create the sinister and somber tone of the story. The black box from which the papers are drawn as well as the black dot on the paper are both symbolic of death. Black is a universally accepted

In her story “The Lottery”, Shirley Jackson manages to catch the readers’ attention and ultimately shock them with an unexpected ending; all of which help her emphasize her critique toward the dark side of human nature and the evil that resides, sometimes, in those who we less expect it from. Jackson uses symbolism throughout the story that helps her set the mood and also makes the readers wonder and analyze the senseless violence and cruelty in their own lives.

The box is so overrated because it has been passed down from generations to perform the tradition. The black box is falling apart and they are reluctant to fix it. The box is not even kept in a safe place, it is kept in different places which makes you wander if somebody wanted to put a stop on the lottery that would at least try to destroy the box but they stay loyal to it. Old man Warner is the oldest man in the village and has survived through all seventy-seven lotteries. He is the main character that represents the lottery as a symbol. Mr. Warner does not think that holding the lottery every year is bad because that is all he knows. Younger people have came up to him and brought up that in other villages they are thinking about giving up the lottery but he thinks that they “are a pack of crazy fools” (221). As well as thinking if it wasn’t for the lottery that they would all go back to unsophisticated times, living in caves and eating chickweed and acorns. He has such an ignorant mind because he thinks that human sacrifice is the answer for having good crops,” Lottery in June, corn be heavy

Thesis: The short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson found in Perrine's Literature written by Thomas R. Arp is a story full of symbolism.

The ending of “The Lottery” comes as a shock to the reader. The Ending of the lottery Tessie Hutchinson draw the winning ticket, and is selected to to be stoned to death.The fact that a town would hold this kind of game is atroscious. Part of the reason that the ending was so much of a shock was because the Author’s use of incidental symbolism left one uneasy. Such as the black box and how it was portrayed like a forgotten tuneless chant, the ritual salute. “The black box grew shabbier each year: by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained.” (The Lottery 1)While most critics see the box as the primary symbol the stool is referenced at least 4 times in the fourth paragraph. “three- legged stool, and the stool was put in the center of the square and Mr. Summers set the black box down on it. The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool.”(The Lottery 1) The stool represents the trinity and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus was sacrificed on the cross Tessie Hutchinson stood on the three legged stool and was stoned to death. But at the beggining jackson sets us on track with some symbolism to indeed show us what is to come. Towards the middle of the story uses some chracter symbolism when it comes to the families. Mr. Dunbar is unable to draw the lottery today, so Mrs. Dunbar agrees to draw for him. However Mr. Summers say. “Don’t you have a grown boy that can draw for you.” Helen Nebeker put the explanation of this conversation extremely well. “In this seemingly innocent exchange the reader is jarred into a suspicion that the mentioned “grown boy” has been a previous victim and that his father cannot face the strain of being present, raising the question whether the breaking of his leg has been accidental or deliberate. At any rate, this loss of a son

The black box is not only Alliteration, but it is also a symbol in “The Lottery”. Martine Ma declares, “The black box holds the key between life or death for every single one of the townspeople”. Inside the black box is a “slip of paper” (Jackson1870) with “a black spot” (Jackson1870) that would declare the death of a villager and the sacrifice for the harvest. The black box also represents ‘evil’ in “The Lottery”. Seth Cassel stated, “The villagers have become entranced in the gruesome tradition of stoning people.” Proving that the black box has manipulated the townspeople into killing their fellow villagers because of the lottery the black box

Shirley Jackson wrote the story “The Lottery” back in 1948 to show us how ridiculous it could be to blindly follow certain traditions. In this story the author uses symbolisms to warn and prepare the reader about the gruesome ending of the lottery. There are a lot of symbols in the story and the main are the items, the lottery and the character names.

In the short story, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, symbolism plays a significant role in explaining the story to the reader, including the two main symbols: the black box and the stones. The lottery itself is an obvious representation and the image it portrays is the unchallenged customs and ways of life which drive our general public. Jackson considers those things, yet are done in light of the fact that that is the way they have always been done. These customs can be something as basic as helping you replace a light bulb in a fixutre, yet they can likewise be much more critical and vile ways of prejudice.

In “The Lottery” Shirley Jackson Shows a lot of attention to the details that give you imagery of what is happening. The black box is a good example of her attention to details that puts a very depicted image into the reader's mind. While she is describing the black box she tells about how old the box is, older than old man warner who has been around for 77 lotterys. When Jackson introduces the box she talks about how the tradition was built in the box and how they thought that the old box that had been lost long ago was built into the new box. Jackson also touches on the fact that Mr. Joe Summers, who runs the lottery, tries to convince the town residents to build a new box, but the residents are so stuck up in the tradition that they will not even consider. When Jackson Describes the box she says,”The black box grew shabbier each year: by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained.”, this goes to show that many of the residents take this box as the way the lottery will always stay in tradition. Another way that Jackson shows her great use of details and imagery is in her account of the events that she describes. “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green. The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; in some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 2th. but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole

Mr. Adam attempts to speak of the other villages quitting the lotteries, but Old Man