The Lottery Page 3

The Color Black and Symbolism in “The Lottery” People are influenced by a variety of different sources – their parents, their friends, and their communities. While everyone must learn to make their own decisions, they often follow the beliefs of the people around them. Teenagers register to vote as a “Democrat” merely because their parents…

Shirley Jackson wrote The Lottery in 1948, not long after the second World War. The horror of the Holocaust was still fresh in everyones minds. Jackson wrote this story to remind everyone that we are not so far from this world of sadistic human sacrifice. She created a town, very much like any American town,…

“The Lottery” can be misleading based on its title, but careful attention to the foreshadowing signs typical in Shirley Jackson’s stories can prevent readers from being led astray. In this story, the author provides two hidden signs that require the reader’s scrutiny – actions taken by the characters and their names. Additionally, an additional clue…

            Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace and Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery both reveal different thematic elements to establish a particular theme which is apparent in the time of their writing. Themes which are related to moral and social issues are illustrated by means of different literary elements Guy de Maupassant’s short story The Necklace is…

The main theme of “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson, is tradition. Traditions are beliefs, legends, customs, information and other things that are passed down from generation to generation. This theme is shown in many different ways throughout the story. The first way tradition is shown in the story is with the ritual that the town…

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is about Symbolism “The Lottery,” a short story written by Shirley Jackson, is a tale about an inhumane and horrific tradition that a community celebrates every year between 10 a. m. and noon on June 27, a sunny day, in a New England village (“Cummings Study Guide”). Not only is…

‘The Lottery’ tells the story of a tradition that has been upheld by a small town for many years: casting of stones as form of sacrifice. This is to guarantee good harvest throughout the year, and has been done through drawing lots. For many years, this tradition was upheld by the townspeople until slowly, as…

Furthermore, not one expresses fear or repugnance concerning the lottery, only signs of eagerness and zeal. Alternatively, they sacrifice their morals and personal principles, becoming endless. This suggests that Individuals are not strong enough to confront their disapproval or the fear of being rejected by society. Mr.. Summers never replaces the black box Just Like…

In 1971, the state of Massachusetts approved the state-sanctioned lottery.  It was argued back then that this was not the ideal way to increase revenue for the government but would instead lead to more financial problems and social disorder.  Recent economic data on this matter, however, show that the fears that the original detractors had…

Shirley Jackson uses symbolism in “The Lottery” to show the importance of remaining faithful to tradition and the unknown consequences that seem to occur when citizens lose touch with their village’s rituals. The idea of a yearly lottery in this small village is a very important ritual that has been passed down for such a…