Symbols in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson - 649 Words

In most peoples minds, the word â€Å"lottery† signifies huge winnings, but for the townspeople in the story â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson the word brings forth fear and devastation. The lottery starts off as a seemingly innocent event which immediately turns into feared, mass chaos in the town. The symbols Jackson incorporates into the story contribute to the fact that everything in this town must be replaced and that some things we must let go of to start fresh with. Although, having said that, people don’t realize when a tradition becomes outdated and when the time comes to put it behind. Shirley Jackson uses several symbols to show how traditions become obsolete and that we must have an open mind to adapt to new, plausible ones, symbols including the black box, the stones, and the townspeople. The black box represents the tradition of the lottery, a common ritual that cannot be changed. The concept of the lottery goes back further than anyone can reca ll. According to the villagers, the annual lottery will never be changed or forgotten, since they’ve grown accustomed to it. The black box symbolizes the old, junky, worn-out repetition of the lottery which they still do every year. Due to the old age of the black box, it deteriorates every day, just like the existence of the lottery, people have difficulty even determining the color of the box. Since the town has owned it for many years, they refuse to replace it because of the tradition and memories it holds, muchShow MoreRelatedUse of Symbols in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson981 Words   |  4 PagesMany great authors use symbolism numerous of time in their stories. A symbol is a noun or word that represents a different idea. An author displays the symbols as a hit rather than blurting it out. Symbols are not only used in novels or poems, they are also used in everyday use. For an example, the American flag has fifty stars on it which each star represents a state. On the other hand, the thirteen stripes plays the part of our thirteen colonies; the beginning of our country. Even with our highRead MoreHidden Symbols in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson1170 Words   |  5 Pagesshort story, â€Å"The Lottery†, Mrs. Hutchinson got picked for the lottery. The word â€Å"hutch† is another word for box, and she happened to have her life taken from her by a paper in a box. The odd, short story of â€Å"the Lottery† is a story that should be read by many people for any urge to find symbolic references or to just kick back and read an interesting story with a twist. The lottery seems like something you would love to win, but not in this twisted story! Winning this lottery is going to take yourRead More Religious and Traditional Symbols in the Lottery by Shirley Jackson753 Words   |  4 PagesReligious and Traditional Symbols in the Lottery Religious groups encourage and enforce conformity of their social norms and beliefs upon their members. Religious traditions are usually passed on from parent to child at an early age. In â€Å"The Lottery,† Shirley Jackson reveals the tradition of the lottery and how all of the villagers conform to the ritual of a human sacrifice. Growing up with an exceptionally religious father I can relate to way of thinking of the villagers that traditions areRead MoreUse of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson1146 Words   |  5 Pagesbulb represents ideas that just sparked into a character’s head. In the short story, â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, a village has just entered the month of June, meaning that the lottery is to begin. When everyone was present, the heads of the households’ names were called one by one to pick up a slip of paper. It was then discovered that the Hutchinson family was the chosen family to participate in the lottery again. When Mr. Hutchinson, Mrs. Hutchinson, Bill Jr., Nancy, and Little Dave each gotRead MoreIgnornance of Tradition in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson1014 Words   |  5 Pagesstarted them or why they were enacted in the first place. The community, in the short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, is no different. The community members follow the tradition of the lottery without any consideration to its ramifications. Shirley Jacksons goal for writing The Lottery is to get the reader to question why certain things are done. She accomplishes this through her use of symbols, her description of the fear of change, a nd the portrayal of the dangers associated with blindlyRead MoreLiterary Elements in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson1334 Words   |  6 Pagesshort story, â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson communicates this theme by showing how the villagers participate in a lottery every year. In life, there are people who follow tradition because the have to, or they are used to following without question. The author, Shirley Jackson was born on December 14, 1916 in San Francisco, California. In 1937, Shirley Jackson attended Syracuse University where she began to write short stories. She was famous for the short story, â€Å"The Lottery,† and her best sellerRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesWhen most people play the lottery today, they think about having wealth. Generally, people who win are happy about it whether they win one dollar or a million. The lottery in our society has grown to support education and it is oft en worth several million dollars. Usually, the winner of the lottery gains a lot of recognition for the money they win. But what would happen if there was a small town where people held a yearly lottery in which the â€Å"winner† was the member of the town who was not sacrificedRead MoreThe Lottery Literary Analysis1538 Words   |  7 Pageswarmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green† (Jackson). In this first sentence of the The Lottery Shirley Jackson establishes a pleasant illusion, creating a sense of serenity. Jackson proceeds to mention that children begin to gather in the village, frolicing and conversing about school. The initial scene and satirically labeled title, The Lottery, provide a somewhat satisfying first impression to the reader. The introductory scene is eminent toRead MoreSummary On The Allegory Of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery871 Words   |  4 Pages Shirley Jackson’s story â€Å"The Lottery† serves as an allegory regarding humankinds inherent to be cruel and society’s ability to inure to violence. The author’s use of a third-person dramatic narrative combined with strong themes, symbols and irony clearly supports the lesson Jackson was trying to portray. Jackson’s short story shows how easy it is to be hostile when a group of villagers with a herd mentality blindly follow an outdated tradition and that evil knows no boundaries. JacksonRead MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson847 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery,† which is a famous short story written by Shirley Jackson in 1948, described the view of an annual lottery event in a small village. In the beginning of the story, on June 27 in each summer, the lottery occurs; all people in the village gather at the spare, and they express their excitement to find out the winner of the lottery. However, there is a totally surprising ending in the story of Shirley Jackson. The prize of the lottery is not any money or gift, which we expect. It is the