Symbolism In The Lottery

Within the first few lines of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" we are faced with such adjectives as clear, sunny, fresh and warmth. She goes on to paint a picture of small children just out of school for the summer, as the townspeople gather for the annual Lottery. This leads us to believe that the rest of the story is as cheery as the summer day initially described. We as the readers are virtually unaware of the horrible senseless events that lie ahead. Through the use of symbolism Shirley Jackson reveals the underlying decay of ethics that results from an empty ritual followed by narrow-minded people.

“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.

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.

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

To a first time reader, Shirley Jackson's “The Lottery” seems simply as a curious tale with a shocking ending. After repetitive reading of Jackson's tale, it is clear that each sentence is written with a unique purpose often using symbolism. Her use of symbols not only foreshadow its surprise and disturbing ending but allows the reader to evaluate the community's pervert traditional rituals. She may be commenting on the season of the year and the grass being “richly green” or the toying with the meanings of the character's names but each statement applies to the meaning and lesson behind her story.

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

Symbolism can be found in many of the objects, places, or experiences around us. Believe it or not, symbolism may be found within a person. Symbolism represents an object that has more than one meaning within it. As an example, the color red may represent something hazardous or even love as well. Symbols can also be used in the battlefield to get through a mission, crack enemy codes, and even save a life as well.

In The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, she uses many literary devices to hint at the dark truth behind a seemingly (light hearted) story. Jackson uses foreshadowing to lift the curtain for a keen reader exposing the (dark) truth about tradition. Three examples of this are the children gathering stones, the black box, and the reactions of the Hutchinson family. Jackson makes it clear in The Lottery that tradition is not to be blindly followed, but looked at for what it truly is. In this heinous story The Lottery, Jacksons makes the reader question tradition.

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.

The black box is a symbol of the old tradition that is the lottery. To perform the annual event, this prop is crucial and has been brought into play for quite a long time. The text states, “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.” (5). This scene particularly shows the box had been put into service long ago.

Symbolism in the real world can be evidently shown in mediocre objects, but in the short story “The Lottery,” deeper thinking is required in order to detect it. In “The Lottery,” symbolism is displayed quite frequently in order for the reader to better understand the story. It is not always perceptible, so context clues, evidence, and thinking outside the box must be put to use. Shirley Jackson uses the figurative language of symbolism in “The Lottery” to reveal the background of certain characters, objects, and events.

In the story, “The Lottery” Shirley Jackson communicates to the reader through symbolism. Symbolism is described as a literary element the author uses to signify a repeated image that means something more than the image itself. Jackson uses several symbols in the story such as the black box, the three-legged stool, the stones and even the Lottery. The author utilizes symbols in the story to provide a sense of realism while adding a mystery in what each of the symbols means.

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a short story about a shocking traditional ceremony which is held on June 27 every year. However, instead of receiving a prize in the lottery, one person will be chosen to be sacrificed for the belief that the village will have a bountiful harvest. The story is brimming with symbols such as the use of colors, names of people in the village, and numbers. Even though each symbol represents different meanings they are all connected to guide toward a hidden message that Shirley Jackson wants readers to explore.