Imagery And Symbolism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

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.

Shirley Jackson, the author of the short story “The Lottery” is an unusual story of a town caught in a trap of following tradition. Shirley Jackson uses many symbols in the story to relate to the theme. By doing this it helps the reader understand the story and the message she is trying to get across. Jackson uses tone, setting, and symbolism to conduct a theme for her readers. By doing this she creates connections to the theme by using the black box and old man Warner as a symbol.

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 black box represents the tradition of the lottery, a common ritual that cannot be changed. The concept of the lottery goes back further than anyone can recall. According to the villagers, the annual lottery will never be changed or forgotten, since they’ve grown accustomed to it. The black box symbolizes the old, junky, worn-out repetition of the lottery which they still do every year. Due to the old age of the black box, it deteriorates every day, just like the existence of the lottery, people have difficulty even determining the color of the box. Since the town has owned it for many years, they refuse to replace it because of the tradition and memories it holds, much

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

When Jackson wanted to use symbolism in “The Lottery”, she wrote, “The black box grew

For example, Mr. Summers’s name is being used to deceive the reader (“Symbolism in ‘The Lottery’”). Although Summer is usually associated with happiness, fun, and warmth, this is not the case. Unfortunately, every Summer, Mr. Summers is the one who conducts the lottery and ultimately grants a death sentence upon a member of the town. Ironically, he also directs the “square dances, the teen-age club, [and] the Halloween program” which are all contrary to the demeanor of the lottery (Jackson 140). In addition to this, the postmaster’s name, Mr. Graves, undoubtedly symbolizes death, which is the inevitable end to the lottery drawing. Another name which holds symbolic meaning is Mrs.Delacroix, which translates to “of the cross” (“Symbolism in ‘The Lottery’”). Through this translation the reader can see the community’s connection to biblical principles. Mrs.Delacroix’s dedication to the tradition of the lottery -- which is derived from divine beliefs -- is shown when she “selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands,” as she was preparing to stone Mrs.Hutchinson, her best friend, to death. Furthermore, through Tessie Hutchinson, the main character and best friend of

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.

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.

There are many important symbolic items in this story, but the major symbolic items are the black wooden box, white slips of paper and the stones. The black box represents the tradition of the lottery. As the lottery itself the black box is old and worn. Also, the color of the box is black which could represent death since black is considered color of death. The black box was always kept in public view to remind the villagers about the tradition “The postmaster, Mr. Graves, followed him, carrying a three-legged stool, and the stool was put in the centre of the square and Mr. Summers set the black box down on it” (Jackson 4). The three-legged stool on which the box was placed is also important since the stool itself was unstable and at one point almost got knocked down. The tradition as the three-legged stool is unstable and could get knocked down at any point. Next, the white slips of paper “He dropped all the papers but those onto the ground, where the breeze caught them and lifted them off.” (Jackson 60). The papers represent the lives of the villagers and how their lives can be taken away at any moment with a single

Shirley Jackson 's 'The Lottery ', is a story that is filled with symbolism. The author uses symbolism to help her represent human nature as tainted, no matter how pure one thinks of himself or herself, or how pure their environment may seem to be. The story is very effective in raising many questions about the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. 'The Lottery ' clearly expresses Jackson 's feelings concerning mankind?s evil nature hiding behind traditions and rituals. She shows how coldness and lack of compassion in people can exhibit in situations regarding tradition and values. Jackson presents the theme of this short story with a major use of symbolism. Symbolism shows throughout the setting of 'The Lottery, ' the objects, the peoples actions, and even in the time and the names of the lucky contestants.

The black box in the lottery is one of the earliest forms of symbolism used by Shirley Jackson. Introduced in paragraph five, the black box is described as being “put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born” (Jackson 5). The appearance of the black box gives a few examples of symbolism. Black, in many cultures, is seen as the color of death and loss, and the box in the lottery holds

The author uses contextual symbols and symbols in general to support “The Lottery’s” meaning. Mr. Summers name is an example of a contextual symbol. The word summer would make the audience think of new beginnings and positivity. Mr. Summers is

Likewise, the black box is symbolic in the short story. It is a prehistoric box in which the villagers draw the slips of paper but do not want to replace it to avoid “upsetting tradition.” The black box is a symbol to the villagers because many people before them have practiced the lottery. “The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago, and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born” (Jackson 1). Lending confidence to the villagers, the black box reminds them to trust in their forefathers. Not only are the stones and black box symbolic, but also the marked slip of paper. It is with a single dark dot that indicates who the next victim of the lottery will be. The dot appears to look like a spot or a blemish on a piece of paper. These are frequently associated with disease and so the marking of the dot symbolizes the marking of a person for destruction. The paper itself also manifests the pointlessness of the lottery; it was created by Joe Summers who though of it the night before on a scratch piece of paper with a pencil. It is this mark, made by a random human, that determines the fate of a person. The marked slip of paper holds no power, but rather the power that

Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” is about a bizarre ritual performed in a town in which the townspeople proceed to follow every year. In a black, worn box they place all the names of the community. Once all the names are placed inside, Mr. Summers draws a name. After the name is chosen, this member will be stoned to death by the others in the community. Tessie Hutchinson in the story tries to reject the repetitive tradition of the lottery.