Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” is not what you think it is. A lottery typically, is something you would want to win. In Jackson’s story, it is quite the opposite. You wouldn’t think anything was wrong at the beginning of the story. It takes place in a small village. Everyone seems to be excited about the lottery, because everyone is present for the lottery. All the characters in the story seem to get along well. Everyone in the town gathers for the lottery. All the children are gathering rocks. This rock collecting didn’t seem to make sense until later. The lottery takes place by having each man or head of household draw a piece of paper out of a black box. The man that draws the black dot then has to have their family members…
Old Man Warner doesn’t want to do away with the lottery because it’s part of his life and tradition. He has been in the lottery seventy-seven times and he wants to continue that tradition of the lottery. When Mr. Adams told him that in the North village they want to give up the lottery, Old Man Warner says that they are crazy fools. He also says that nothing’s good enough for the young folk. Old Man Warner thinks that they represent changes and he doesn’t like that when it comes to tradition. He also says that young people can’t change it because there’s always been a lottery. A theme that the story teaches is that traditions can change but for the people who have lived…
When one usually thinks of the word “lottery”, their first thoughts usually go to winning a prize.…
Usually, when one hears anything about a lottery, it is perceived as being a great fortune brought down upon whoever wins it, even if the person has done nothing to actually deserve it. After all, it is won only by a stroke of luck, an unforeseen and unexpected circumstance. But even so, it is supposed to bring wealth and luxury into the winner’s life. Not one person in today’s society would ever see the lottery as an unfortunate event that winning it would bring serious repercussions such as execution and death. On the contrary, “The Lottery,” written by Shirley Jackson, uses irony to exemplify how people can illogically follow senseless traditions and ultimately demonstrates how society can blindly persecute innocent individuals.…
In the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson many of the beliefs in the story are giving the lottery a bad meaning. In this story The Lottery is a huge event of stoning winners of the lottery. Many of the lottery winners think maybe the drawings are very unfair. Normally the first thing that comes to a persons mind when they think about the lottery is a large sum of money, in the story “The Lottery” it is not the same. This story makes the readers mind wonder and see two aspects of the story, for what they think “The Lottery” is and what it really meant to them. In the story one of the main characters Tessie Hutchinson felt the lottery was unfair and decided to protest. Old Man Warner and also Mr. Summers are pretty much on the same…
In addition, the only man in the story who seems to recognize this tradition is Old Man Warner. When Mrs. Adams mentions that other towns have quit doing the lottery, he adds “nothing but trouble in that,” and calls the, “young fools.” He has survived the lottery for 77 years, and seems to know that you don’t mess with a ritual. A lottery is completely by chance, and there is no way it is fair or unfair. When Tessie fights the ritual and ends up being stoned to death, it shows that you must remain faithful to your tradition, which seems to be the entire moral of the…
Facing billion dollar deficits and on the prowl for ways to increase revenue, Hawaii law makers have brought into question whether legalizing gambling would be a…
This story might sound as fiction, but Religious Persecution have always happen in every part of the world. The Lottery remains relevant in our society today because the symbols in the story were never fully explained. Just like religion people follow it blindly without needing any reasons. The story itself symbolizes tradition, unquestioned traditions that exist not just in the society of the Lottery but on ours everyday. The heavy emphasis on religious traditions and symbols make the Lottery one of the darkest and most mysterious stories to…
Overall, The Lottery seems to truly become a burden on the lives of people. By drawing away from their personal liberties and causing a sense of fear and anxiety amongst many, it is demonstrated that tradition can trump morals and personal…
Like Thomas Hobbes says " the man is a wolf to man ", the lottery symbolize the fact that human are capable of the biggest horrors. They could stop this stupid tradition, but they enjoy it, it's so funny to hit someone with stones!…
People who win the lottery are actually anything but happy. Winning the lottery often causes people to fall into debt, people often risk losing their houses because of the bank often takes away their homes. Not only that, but their relationships with family and friends is also likely to fall apart. People who win the lottery often become selfish and end up spending all their money on themselves, when their family and friends attempt to ask them for money things often turn real…
The story, "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is about tradition. A word usually tied to happy events like anniversaries, family vacations, and holidays, Jackson presents the concept in a much more sinister light. While there are hints of what is to come, the events portrayed are similar to what one would expect to find in a small village's long standing custom.…
They care about the disadvantages because weak people cannot defend themselves from certain things. That's what the United States is about, protecting the weak from the strong. When people are addicted they fall victim to temptations and the government preys on these weaknesses. It encourages these addictions by offering small winnings and then players try to win bigger and bigger until they lose everything. Through operant conditioning, they learn to connect the lottery with winning and winning with satisfaction. The people who care about the advantages of the lottery care about the education system that they are a part of or are putting their children through. As parents and human beings we naturally want the best for ourselves and our kids. They care about their roads being paved so there are no potholes that total their car that will cost thousands of dollars in expenses. Also they care about the rights granted to us for being a citizen of the United States. We are granted the freedom to spend our money on whatever we desire within some legal guidelines. People need to realize that there are advantages and disadvantages of having a state & national lottery system in place. The evidence is clear and proves that both of these assumptions are accurate. Now the lottery and its system must be tweaked to accommodate the wants of the people, in order to help those who fall victim to…
I believe "The lottery" also presents a strong message about the dangers of conformity. Such a terrible, frightening act could only be upheld for so many years by so…
Here are three things to think about. One, it will help people who are suffering. Two, the taxes will be used for things like recovery centers to help the people with addictions and funding for schools. Three, it is less dangerous then your average Coca-Cola.…