Shirley Jackson’s‚ “The Lottery”‚ clearly expresses her feelings concerning traditional rituals through her story. It opens the eyes of readers to properly classify and question some of today’s traditions as cruel‚ and allows room to foretell the outcome of these unusual traditions. “The Lottery” is a short story that records the annual sacrifice ceremony of a fictional small town. It is a detailed narrative of the selection of the person to be sacrificed‚ a
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we do what we’re told‚ but never questioning why we do things could lead to disastrous events. In The Lottery Shirley Jackson warns us about the dangers of blindly following tradition. Jackson’s use of foreshadowing‚ symbolism‚ and irony admonish the public of what could go wrong if we never question tradition. The story starts off with the town gathering around for the annual lottery. The men talk‚ the women gossip and children run around playing and gathering rocks. The gathering of
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“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson‚ initially comes off as a happy and light-hearted story‚ with imagery showing kids playing in a yard and mothers gossipping with each other. An annual ritual called the lottery. Jackson keeps the reader in the dark as to what takes place in the lottery until the very end of the story. The story suddenly gains a very serious and solemn tone. The head of each household draws a slip of paper‚ and when Bill Hutchinson draws the paper with the black dot‚ his wife Tessie
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What I feel after reading the Lottery Shirley Jackson’s lottery is really an interesting and unique story indeed and it is unlike any other boring literary stuff I read. In fact‚ I think it is the best story I have ever read so far. It not only has a strong and clear story setting but also has an intrigued plot. All of the characters and objects in the story have their distinctive meanings and characteristics. For example‚ Mr. Summer plays the role as the innovator because he suggested replacing
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Monique Lewis Ashcraft English 102 Feb. 25‚ 2013 The Lottery Following it’s publication in the New Yorker in 1948‚ Shirley Jackson’s "the lottery" aroused much controversy‚ leading to that issue of the new Yorker quickly being sold out. Through the use of comedy and irony‚ Jackson demonstrates the "pointless violence and general inhumanity in [readers] own lives" The lottery takes place in a small close knit town where tradition is taken quite seriously. Each year an event is held in which
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The lottery theme I think that the theme of the lottery is to treat others how you want to be treated. I think that this theme fits into all of this story. The whole story is about this theme. It is important to treat others how you want to be treated. If you don’t then it will come back and bite you in the butt. Just like it did in “The Lottery”. On page number 8 in “The Lottery” Tessie Hutches pleads saying “It isn’t fair!”. We know though that if anyone else had gotten the black dot she would
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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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1102 14 February 2013 Mindless Tradition “The Lottery” (1948) by Shirley Jackson has provoked controversy and condemnation since its release. The short story takes place in a village where tradition is vital. The lottery is an annual event in which one individual is chosen by random to be viciously stoned by family and friends. All town members practice the ritual. The short story portrays how human nature engages in behaviors mindlessly. “The lottery was conducted—as were the square dances‚ the
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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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The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a short story about a small town and their unique summer tradition. This stories thematic element is conformity and rebellion‚ showing “a clash between two well-articulated positions in which a rebel‚ on principle‚ confronts and struggles with established authority” (Abacarian and Klotz‚ 289). Jackson’s short story caught my attention through her suspenseful structural technique‚ and incorporation of a serious‚ seemingly absurd‚ event in a nonchalant manner.
Free The Lottery Short story Shirley Jackson