Religious and Traditional Symbols in the Lottery by Shirley Jackson

Tradition; it is the back bone of every culture and civilization. It is what keeps the beliefs, philosophies, and activities of societies alive, to be passed down from generation to generation. However not all traditions are practiced with pure intentions.  Some activities become so routine, people don’t know a life outside of them. Societies become so accustomed to “tradition” that they will participate in pastimes without  questioning the ethics or morals of the situation. Ultimately when tradition takes the place of a rationalizing mind the outcome can be incredibly dangerous. The role of tradition is an underlying theme in the short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, forcing readers to ask themselves “At what point do

The Lottery, and Christianity Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery”, if left at face value, is a perverse tale of a small village sacrificial ceremony, which leaves a lasting impression upon the reader. However to take the story at face value would nearly be an exercise in futility, for then the reader would be missing the deeper meanings found in the delicate symbolism that Jackson places throughout the tale.

After reading Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” several times over the many years, this story has many meanings beyond simply the words on the pages. These are left up to the speculation of the reader for the most part, which lets each individual come up with his or her own opinions to fuel an argument. I feel that much of the symbolism revolves around religion, in particular Christianity. To take the story at face value would nearly be an exercise in futility, for then the reader would be missing the deeper meanings found in the delicate symbolism that Jackson places throughout the tale. Indeed, the symbolic meanings of many of the people and things placed throughout the narrative depict certain

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is a story littered with warnings and subtext about the dangers a submissive society can pose. While the opening is deceptively cheery and light Jackson uses an array of symbols and ominous syntax to help create the apprehensive and grim tone the story ends with. Her portrayal of the town folk as blindly following tradition represents the world during World War II when people’s failure to not mindlessly accept and heed authority lead to disastrous consequences. . Shirley Jackson uses a large array of techniques to help convey the idea that recklessly following and accepting traditions and orders can lead to disastrous consequences.

On the other hand, the villagers stoning the winner of the lottery was used as a symbol of punishment. It is one of the most established and common execution methods. However, in The Lottery, the stones represent victory of the lottery. Shirley Jackson stated that, “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones” (Jackson 291). Stoning is symbolic in “The Lottery” because, “For stoning to be effective it requires a crowd to act together. This reinforces the point that the antagonist of this story it is not a single person but society” (Gahr). For instance, this means that the immorality of the village is so severe that the antagonist is not just one person but society itself. How do you think the villagers feel when their children were caught up in this senseless tradition by collecting stones? It is obvious that the villagers were following tradition that was done every year. “What about allowing a child to be a child?” For example; playing with toy cars and trucks, coloring books and Barbie’s, or getting push by their parents on a swing at a park. Children should not be allowed to partake in an event so gruesome and violent or seen raising anything to aggressively hurt an adult.

Culture and history have always remained an important influence on literature. It can be both cruel and inspiring in their own ways. Jackson’s “The Lottery” can also be seen in this context. Culture is a powerful influence in people’s lives which are bound by traditions and customs. The author uses numerous symbols to portray the worst flaws of human creatures. She uses names, mostly symbols to show the ignorance of sacrificial lottery. The sacrifices which used to satisfy the god of harvest, have no meaning to their culture. However, The Lottery does not only represent tradition. It serves a fear in the villagers that if they rebel against the social rules, they might be selected for the next lottery. The author is showing how a person would rather sacrifice their own

Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco, California on December 14, 1919. The family left California and moved to New York when she was sixteen. At age twenty Shirley enrolled at the University of Syracuse. There she met Stanley Edgar Hyman. Her and Hyman were later married in 1940. Her literary production increased tremendously after her marriage and the birth of their four children. Unfortunately with all of her success she was still human, with human problems. She was an agoraphobic and severely depressed. The may be why her stories are so far out in left field compared to what was being written at the time, and even today. Her writing was an outlet for her and this lead so many successful works of literature.

It is sad that misuse of rituals could lead people to death. “The Lottery” illustrates a rural town with small population doing a drawing yearly to pick one person and stone him (her) to death. People follow rituals to remember the elders or being moral; it’s not the way of

First of all, they let men lead the lottery, where children gather stones. Everyone in the village seems obsessed with the black lottery box and they put handmade slips of paper in the box. They have strong traditions that have to follow by all villager. The villager blindly accepts the lottery and the ritual to murder anyone with their own paper that they have put in the box. They have a family bond that seems significant part of the lottery, rules that have to follow, the black box is the symbol of the story and the lottery. In my paper, I will show the stereotypes of the lottery the and how village people beliefs about it.

Traditions are widespread among many different people and cultures; It is an explanation for acting without thinking. Not all traditions are a good thing, though, and blindly following them can lead to harsh consequences. The villagers in a small town in “The Lottery” gather together annually to participate in this tradition, where one person in the town is randomly chosen in a drawing to be violently stoned to death by citizens. It has been around for seventy-seven years and everyone partakes in it. People always attend, showing the importance of tradition amongst the society. However, in the short story, “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson uses many literary devices to show that traditions are not always meant to be followed.

Over time, the severity of inconceivable actions is desensitized to members of the community as the traditions continue to be practiced throughout generations. In “The Lottery”, the story opens with children “selecting the smoothest and roundest stones” (43) in preparation for the stoning, as if it was part of an ordinary routine. At a young age, children tend to learn and mimic the actions of those around them. They listen to voices of authority like Old Man Warner’s as he ridicules the idea of other villages abolishing the lottery, calling them, “Pack of crazy fools” (48), and saying how, “they’ll be wanting to go back to living in caves … there’s always been a lottery” (48). Following the influence of the elders, the children fail to question the

A young child might ask,”What gods are we pleasing?”,and, “Are you sure we are doing the right thing?”, but they would still get the same answer: “because the bible said so” or , “ We’ve been doing this for centuries”. The Lottery illustrates that we are living in a world where you are ostracised for believing in nothing at all and being brainwashed into believing in another.

     Two of the biggest holidays in the United States are Christmas and Easter. Both of which are derived from Christian beliefs. Even though 'The Lottery' is apparently a pagan ritual, violent and horrific, it is appropriate, only by the fact that the participants no longer remember, or seem to care, what the original intent of the ritual or the significance of its traditions.

there is quiet conversation between friends. Mr. Summers, who runs the lottery, arrives with a black box. The original box was lost many years ago, even before Old Man Warner, the oldest person in the village, can remember. Each year Mr. Summers suggests that they make a new box, but no one is willing to go against tradition. The people were willing to use slips of paper instead of woodchips as markers, as the village had grown too large for the wood chips to fit in the box. A list of all the families and households in the village is made, and several matters of who will draw for each family are decided. Mr. Summers is sworn in as the official of the lottery in a specific ceremony. Some people remember that there used to be a song and salute as part of the ceremony, but these are no longer performed. Tessie Hutchinson arrives in the square late because she has forgotten what day it was. She joins her husband and children before the lottery can begin. Mr. Summers explains the lottery’s rules: each family will be called up to the box and draw a slip of paper. One of the villagers tells Old Man Warner that the people of a nearby village are thinking about ending the lottery. Old Man Warner laughs at the idea. He believes that giving up the lottery would cause nothing but trouble, and a loss of civilized behavior. A woman responds that some places have already given up the lottery. Everyone finishes drawing, and each

In today’s society we perceive the lottery as being a great fortune brought down upon you by Lady Luck. It is a serendipitous event, even if the person has done nothing to earn it. One would never see the lottery as an unfortunate occasion that occurred in your life because it is supposed to bring prosperity into your life. Also, one would not dare to think that winning the lottery would bring such repercussions as injury or death. In the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the author could have used Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson as the town’s scapegoat due to their reluctance to change traditions, her horrible work ethic, and minority status as a woman.