How Does Shirley Jackson Use The Stones In The Lottery

In the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the writer clearly brings out various symbols and aspects that later indicates the irony of what “The Lottery” in reality means. It is evident that what begins as a bright and peaceful summer day later transpires into a perverted stoning event. Each and every single part included in the short story points out the destiny. The story is presented in such a way, that the writer excellently illustrates how items, human beings, and people’s actions clearly stand out as symbols. As a matter of facts, I can say that Jackson uses the black box, the three-legged stool, and the stones to symbolize the various aspects of this particular society and its long rooted, clueless and astonishing tradition.
In fact, she not only uses the stones to symbolize rigidness to change, but also the villagers’ willingness and collective support of the lottery tradition. Regardless of Tessie’s protest for the the draw, the villagers get their stones and collectively stones her to death. The stone throwing shows the unanimous support and acceptance of tradition by the forthcoming generation. When the villagers brutally stone the citizen who has “won” the lottery, it displays how their moral values have been decimated to the point where they are now cold, heartless, and mindless in their action than the inanimate stones they use for their deadly acts. A person who still has the capacity to reason would be harshly awoken by the truth that he or she was in the act of killing an innocent person. The boys of the village select the “smoothest and roundest stones” which shows how they regard it as a game. There is the illusion that they are going to go to the skip rocks. This adds to the lightness that Jackson’s story is created in the beginning. In the end, however, the actions that the boys take to select the rocks only shows how perverted the minds of all the villagers are, from young to old. The villagers cannot analyze why they are picking stones, a cold unfeeling object itself, and then shattering a life. The children do not question the lottery’s value for the rest of their day because the tradition itself has
She masterfully uses symbolism to convey a meaning that is not only shocking but also disturbing. She demonstrates the problems of following traditions that have become outdated and pointless. She exposes many of the flaws of human nature. Jackson presents symbolism in away that almost goes unnoticed at the start of the story but becomes prominent as the story progresses. The story is ends in a shocking way that encourages one to come back to read and extend the uses of the symbols to the in totality. It is after this final examination that one can reach out and apply the concepts of the consequences related to adhering to traditional belief and values that makes no