Paul Fallon Professor Vladick College Writing II 27 March 2013 The Lottery Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery is a short story about a small village that has an event every year called the lottery. Jackson does not let the reader know right away about the irony of the lottery; it is not something the villagers would want to win. Jackson does not give away the consequences of the lottery until the end of the story. Jackson applies some strong literacy devices in her story. She manages to manipulate
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English 101 The Lottery In life‚ we as people are hesitant about change. We often think “this is the way it has always been”‚ or “why change now” But‚ is this always a good attitude to have? The Lottery‚ written by Shirley Jackson in 1948‚ shows how reluctant townspeople are to reject outdated traditions and ideas even though they are considered evil and unnecessary by others. While gathering in the town square for the annual summer lottery‚ conversations began amongst the people about other
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The Lottery Conformity or Pure Selfishness “The opposite for courage is not cowardice‚ it is conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow”-Jim Hightower. Have you ever been in a situation to where you know a person or a group is doing something wrong‚ but you choose not to do anything about it? Have you ever done something wrong for so long that it suddenly became a lifestyle for you? Jackson’s story‚ “The Lottery”‚ when it comes to being in the wrong or not speaking up‚ reminds me
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Rosezanne Cox Ms. Sarhan 15 November 2013 The Lottery (1948) After reading the Lottery‚ the greatest downfall of this society is clinging to old traditions‚ which makes it impossible for an entire community to progress. The village people are convinced to conduct the lottery in June in order to have a prosperous year. However‚ many nearby villages have eliminated the practice and numerous young adults have advocated for the brutal acts towards an innocent human being. Because the village
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In “The Birth-Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ the most noticeable symbol is Georgiana’s birthmark on her cheek. Her birthmark is a tiny red spot on her cheek in the shape of a small hand. In the story it says‚ “some fairy at her birth-hour had laid her tiny hand upon the infant’s cheek” (340). At the beginning of the story Georgiana has grown so tired of the birthmark she says‚ “Either remove this dreadful hand‚ or take my wretched life!” (342). Aylmer‚ her husband the scientist‚ decides to take up
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The Lottery The specific details Jackson describes in the beginning of “The Lottery” set us up for the shocking conclusion. In the first paragraph‚ Jackson provides specific details about the day on which the lottery takes place. She tells us the date (June 27)‚ time (about 10 A.M.)‚ and temperature (warm). She describes the scene exactly: there are flowers and green grass‚ and the town square‚ where everyone gathers‚ is between the bank and post office. She provides specifics about the town
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The lottery‚ many people are playing it all around the world. In the United States‚ people‚ who have a little bit of money in their pocket‚ will play the lottery. Now the lottery has changed from a tool for financing the public to a tool for making money for the merchant. In the article “ The Lottery is for Losers ” by Laurence Berkley‚ the author points out‚ people forgot the main point for lottery is financing the public‚ but now they only see the impossible benefit for their self. There are three
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The Lottery The story takes place in a small village‚ where the people are close and tradition is paramount. A yearly event‚ called the lottery‚ is one in which one person in the town is randomly chosen‚ by a drawing‚ to be violently stoned by friends and family. The drawing has been around over seventy-seven years and is practiced by every member of the town. Shirley is very natural to the characters and the event. We don’t get any information about what she thinks about the situation‚ and she
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story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. In this story‚ an illustration draws out the brutal and villinious stoning of an unlucky woman. At first glance‚ I believe this strongly clashes with our contemporary values. A much deeper evaluation of the portrayal of swinging mindsets and how humans have the capacity to coincide with a mob mentality. As civilized and noble human beings‚ it’s important to dissect and criticize the traditional values in the society described in the story "The Lottery" and others
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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. The first‚ misleading bit of evidence lies in the very first paragraph. The day is described as "clear and sunny"‚ with "flowers
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