Analysis Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

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1. The title itself has a positive connotation. A lottery is often seen as a fun, joy filled event, allowing people to test their luck with the chance to win a prize. The title is followed up by a detailed description of a beautiful warm summer day, setting a serene and peaceful tone in the village. From the title and the introduction, an inference may be drawn that this is a story with a happy ending. However, the winner of this lottery is no winner at all, as they are rewarded with death. The title and opening paragraph undeniably magnifies the irony when the true inhumane purpose of the lottery is revealed.

2. The young children show how easy it is to welcome something that is taught to be socially acceptable. The story begins as if it’s
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The lottery is explained to be a very old tradition. The original black box is so old that it is now falling apart and certain parts of the ritual have been forgotten, yet the ritual still continues on simply because it is tradition. No one really knows how it began or why, but almost everyone is content with knowing that it just happens, that it is an annual ritual. This emphasizes the absurdity of following a tradition solely because it is a tradition. The box breaking down is clearly a sign that the tradition has become outdated, yet it is still blindly accepted and followed by the …show more content…
The lottery represents how ridiculous it is to follow a yearly ritual that has been passed down from generation to generation without question simply because it is a tradition. The lottery itself is clearly preposterous and inhumane, but no one thinks to challenge it due to the simple fact that it is a tradition. The lottery can also be a representation of how life is so fragile and death can come any day at any moment. Tessie shows up late and has a few laughs with other villagers, never expecting it to be herself with the dotted paper. Incidences where people are diagnosed with incurable diseases and randomly struck by cars are common, but one believes it’ll happen to them. Everyday you live is truly a lottery of life.

5. Shirley Jackson shows that humans often let things happen without question as long as the society condones such behaviour. No one dares question or speak up about this ritual because it has existed for as long as anyone can remember. Traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation are often followed without question because it is just tradition. No one challenges the illogical and cruel tradition because it’s just something that happens. This precisely demonstrates how peer pressure and social acceptance can affect one’s

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