What Is The Central Theme Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson’s short story The Lottery is set in a small village who relies deeply on their crops. This story is about a sacrifice that takes place every year in which the heads of households draw for their families in order to see who “wins” and saves the town. The readers grow close to a character named Tessie who decides to speak her mind when it’s too late. In the end, the townsfolk realise that what comes around goes around.

The Black Box: An Analysis on “The Lottery” “…but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box.” The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson spins a shocking tale of the horrors that tradition brings. The allegory centers on an annual town lottery, one where the

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.

You have brought out a great point on the foreshadow analyzing for the story “The lottery”. I didn’t notice that stone had play a huge role in this story because while I was reading the story, I just though the children are just having fun collecting the stone. I never realize that the author giving the reader hint that the stone, later on is for beating up a person. Answering to your question, yes Old Man Warner is a stubborn person who not willing to change this tradition. I think this traditional doesn’t have end until Old Warmer pass away, I think if there a good amount of people who disagree about this traditional and go against it. This traditional eventually would end.

Reader Response #2: The Lottery “The Lottery” is a short story written by Shirley Jackson and published in 1948. The title of the story initially leads readers to believe the story is going to be about someone winning some kind of prize. Even the opening of the story seems to protest any foul play or cruel behavior. What the reader is introduced to is a seemingly friendly gathering of a small village community, members all gathered around anxiously awaiting their drawing for the lottery. The village members all chatter amongst one another in a tone that kind neighbors would take with one another. To the surprise of the reader, the story provides a shocking twist. The story is not about someone winning a prize. Instead the story reveals

In Shirley Jacksons, The Lottery, the reader is taken into an almost dreamlike village where the children are playing and the adults are conversing and laughing amongst each other. The story makes the reader believe that this village that they have been introduced to is the ideal spot to live

Most people have some sort of tradition that they follow, be it a family tradition or a morning routine, while most are harmless or have some positive effect there are a few that exist that are negative. This could be made worse if one such negative tradition takes over their life. In “The Lottery” the townsfolk gather for what at first seems like a harmless, fun tradition, a yearly lottery. But, as the story progresses it becomes apparent that there is more going on that first meets the eye. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” uses symbolism to show the theme: tradition isn’t always right, dialogue to get readers predicting and start to reveal the sinister nature of what was really going on in the story, and revealing actions to raise the

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a short story based on a fictional village that holds a macabre ritual. Although the regularity was not stated within the tale, the story speaks of a regular gathering of the village folk to conduct some form of lottery. In a disturbing twist of the tale, the winner of the lottery doesn’t get to receive a prize, but instead, suffer the indignity of being killed by getting stoned to death by friends, family, and neighbors. Mrs. Hutchinson is the unfortunate soul, who, despite her pleas and protests has no option but accept her fate. In a similarly titled story, The Lottery by Chris Abani talks about an incident he witnessed when he went to the market with his aunt. In the story, Abani explains how he

In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” it seems that Jackson is trying to portray how people do not question the rituals they partake in and continuously do them. There is no form of second thought on the rituals people perform but a sense of conformity. People go along with such rituals because it is accepted and only frowned upon when someone questions these rituals.

According to Philip Zimbardo the author of The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil, he says “Good people can be induced, seduced, and initiated into behaving in evil ways. They can also be led to act in irrational, stupid, self-destructive, antisocial, and mindless ways when they are immersed

The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is a fictional story based on a small society where every person within the society lives happily and prosperously. Although behind the happiness is darkness. Throughout the story the reader learns that every summer the town holds a lottery which decides people's fate. Each individual is to draw one slip from the box and if that slip contains a black dot then that individual is stoned to death. The idea and concept behind this is that if they kill one person a year it will make their harvest heavy and farmers will have full crops. Society acts as the protagonist within the story because it creates a vicious tradition. The tradition being that one person must sacrifice there happiness in order to satisfy and bring

Would you believe that there was once a village where everyone would partake in a terrible event, but think it was innocent because of how they blindly followed a tradition? The short story, “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson communicates this theme by showing how the villagers participate in a lottery every year. In life, there are people who follow tradition because the have to, or they are used to following without question. The author, Shirley Jackson was born on December 14, 1916 in San Francisco, California. In 1937, Shirley Jackson attended Syracuse University where she began to write short stories. She was famous for the short story, “The Lottery,” and her best seller novel, “The Haunting of Hill House”. Shirley Jackson was

The short story by Shirley Jackson should have been published. Your story "The Lottery" should have been published because the theme makes the reader be more interested while reading the short story. The first time reading this short story and reactions were puzzled at first but then as far as reading and understanding the theme the short story was more interesting and made your readers think about their families and problem they had. The evidence and reactions connect back to the claim because the reaction they had made them interested and wanting to read more based on these reactions and the way the short story really caught your attention as well.

Literary Analysis: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a short story written in 1948. Due to World War II ending around this time, her story took some strong criticism. The people at that time wanted uplifting stories, and this story is the very opposite because of its underlying theme of tradition and conformity. “The Lottery” shows that no matter the tradition or belief, people will not stray from their daily routine because humans are creatures of habit, and are scared to wonder from what we know. Jackson writes by providing the reader with little details at first.Then making the reader put the information all together to come to the conclusion that people will never change. Jackson then creates symbols of tradition and conformity by adding details, using specific objects, and”The Lottery” itself.

Shirley Jackson wrote The Lottery in the late 1940’s. It seems as though the village is just having a regular annual celebration. Everyone is dressed and talking casually. The kids are playing, gathering and protecting stones. The atmosphere Jackson portrays is easy going.