desire to be the next winner of the lottery. The lottery is a tradition in our country‚ a tradition that has led to thousands of winners who are deemed “the lucky ones.” However‚ is following tradition always a good thing? Are the winners of this desirable lottery always so lucky? Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” employs a detached‚ unique tone and utilizes ambiguous symbolism to reveal the inhumanity of mindlessly following societal tradition. “The Lottery” commences on the morning of June 27th
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When Shirley Jackson wrote “The Lottery” she received many letters from many horrified readers who were shocked by the seemingly realness of the story. Although the short story was fictional‚ the characters and situations the story symbolized were very much real. Jackson uses this symbolism to help convey her message: traditions should not be allowed to be unexamined and unchanged. One character‚ for whom the symbolism is so deep that she dies as a result of it‚ is Tessie Hutchinson
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In “The Lottery” the characteristics describe it as a comedy. Even though the ending is tragic‚ the story contains no hero‚ and does not really teach a lesson. Rather it shows a culture of a village and it’s villagers. That leaning in culture shows more realistic‚ and more common language. Such as when Joe Summers enters the scene he says “Little late today‚ folks.” And when he needs help with carrying the black box he asks the Martins “Some of you fellows want to give me a hand?” This shows
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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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Kristen English II CP D MOD 9/12/13 “The Lottery” and Its Traditions In the short story “The Lottery” (1948) Shirley Jackson has a way of telling the story how it is. When you read the title‚ your mind sets on a positive thought. Funny‚ how your thoughts can affect how things really turn out to be. “The morning of June 27th” is a very important part‚ as it sets the mood for the story. Each year the small town has a gathering in a square with a heap of festivities and fun stuff going on
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inquire for a explanation from a townsman standing in my general vicinity. He told me that this woman had committed adultery and this was her punishment‚ according to the puritan laws. This peaked my curiosity… Log #23: It has been awhile since my last entry‚ but I have made a few conclusions about the quizzical subject Hester Prynne. As it turns out‚ after I left‚ Hester had committed adultery with another man and is now caring for his child. The mere thought of my own wife caring for another man’s child
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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.
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make broad distinctions or to identify specific categories within a broad category. The short story and the novel‚ for example‚ are specific literary genres within the broad category of fiction."(Clugston‚ R.W.2010). I think another very important component to literature is the tone. Setting the tone will let the reader know what attitude the literary work is going. For example‚ "the final lines in Updike’s poem create an initial feeling of sympathy‚ which is likely to become empathy if the reader
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Although Shirley Jackson wrote many books‚ children’s stories and humorous pieces‚ she is most remembered for her story "The Lottery." In "The Lottery" Jackson portrays the average citizens of an average village taking part in an annual sacrifice of one of their own residents. When the story was published in the New Yorker magazine in 1948‚ reader response was tremendous. People were horrified by the story and wrote to express their disgust that a tale containing a pointless‚ arbitrary‚ violent sacrifice
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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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