Barbarism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

At first glance, Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" seems like a shocking horror story meant to thrill the reader with an unexpected twist and create a sense of uneasiness. The lottery, at first, appears to be left up to chance, and the 'winner' is just one unlucky citizen of the village. However, if the reader takes on an analytical perspective while reading through this story, a common reference to ancient tradition surfaces. After considering the literary elements used, the underlying theme of barbarism in modern day religion comes to light. The black box atop the three-legged stool, the gathering of stones, even the summer day clues the reader in to the inevitable end of the lottery. Jackson uses abstract symbols such as her setting and character surnames, as well as concrete objects within her story to illustrate her theme of ritual sacrifice. Jackson's use of symbolism is more obvious in her description of concrete objects throughout her story. First, the lottery box itself symbolizes an all powerful authority over the lives of the villagers; more specifically, a God. The box dictates whether the villagers live or die with its slips of paper, its 'word of god'. The others have no choice but to obey the command of the box or else be punished. As Danielle Schaub notes in
The way in which the village reacts to the black spot nods to many religious practices. The dot is first drawn to choose a family much like the curse on Adam and all his sons. A member of the family is then selected to be stoned; another nod to biblical practices. The modern setting of "The Lottery" leads the reader to believe there must be more humane ways to end an innocent life, however one critic believes the tradition was kept to symbolize the primitive nature of the sacrifice (Nebeker). Shirley Jackson used the stoning mob to enlighten the reader of the outdated and inane logic of