Dangers Of Blindly Following Tradition In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson
The author of the short story, The Lottery, is Shirley Jackson. In the lottery, the villagers of a small town gather together on the 27th of June for the annual tradition of the town lottery, which is conducted by Mr. Summers. In which, every year they select a random person to be stoned to their death, as they are the winner of the lottery. Emphasizing the theme of the dangers of blindly following traditions. This is shown through characterization, tone and dialogue.
Firstly, the theme of the dangers of following tradition is conveyed through literary devices, such as metaphor, auditory imagery and irony. Dellacroix, perhaps the most obvious example of the deadening effect that tradition has on the hearts and minds. Her name means off the cross which is a metaphor, that persuades …show more content…
In reality she is the complete opposite, even though Dellacroix seemed to be a friend to Mrs. Hutcherson, she is the one to pick up the largest stone and promotes others to stone her. “Tessie Hutchinson shouted to Mr.Summers- It wasn’t fair!” this refrain continues as she is selected and subsequently stoned to death, but instead of listening to her, the villagers ignore her, even her loved ones such as Bill. We observe Tessie's transformation from a normal and enthusiastic observer to a panicky, terrified participant. Whatever her motivation is for speaking, she was effectively silenced by society, emphasizing how ludicrous it must have been for the villagers to hear Tessie question tradition, as society just accepted it, with no questions. Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town who participated in 77 lotteries and is a staunch advocate to keep things the way they are. He believes illogically as he says “Next thing you know, they’ll be -live in caves” this suggests Warner believes and fears if the lottery is stopped the townsmen will return in
Firstly, the theme of the dangers of following tradition is conveyed through literary devices, such as metaphor, auditory imagery and irony. Dellacroix, perhaps the most obvious example of the deadening effect that tradition has on the hearts and minds. Her name means off the cross which is a metaphor, that persuades …show more content…
In reality she is the complete opposite, even though Dellacroix seemed to be a friend to Mrs. Hutcherson, she is the one to pick up the largest stone and promotes others to stone her. “Tessie Hutchinson shouted to Mr.Summers- It wasn’t fair!” this refrain continues as she is selected and subsequently stoned to death, but instead of listening to her, the villagers ignore her, even her loved ones such as Bill. We observe Tessie's transformation from a normal and enthusiastic observer to a panicky, terrified participant. Whatever her motivation is for speaking, she was effectively silenced by society, emphasizing how ludicrous it must have been for the villagers to hear Tessie question tradition, as society just accepted it, with no questions. Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town who participated in 77 lotteries and is a staunch advocate to keep things the way they are. He believes illogically as he says “Next thing you know, they’ll be -live in caves” this suggests Warner believes and fears if the lottery is stopped the townsmen will return in