Crime Disguised as Innocence “The Lottery”
Myungsub Eum
English School of Canada
Crime Disguised as Innocence “The Lottery” Horror writers ponder how to make the tension more tricky-not directly. Supernatural horrors are interesting either, but fear in daily life is more likely to be empathetic. Shirley Jackson is one of the most famous writers for creating this fear. He contains such daily fears in his works, particularly in this writing - the name is The Lottery. The theme of The Lottery is a crime disguised as innocence, which is clear from characters, irony and foreshadowing. The Lottery is easy to read and short story. In a small village, the villagers preparing the lottery. Although they are peaceful and …show more content…
This village’s atmosphere seems to peaceful, but inside of village fulfill with irony. Initially, other villages already quit the lottery, but old man Warner blamed them even though they make the right choice. Warner said “Old Man Warner snorted. ‘Pack of crazy fools’ … There’s always been a lottery’” (138~142). Objectively, their decision is rational and proper, but these villagers deem wrong. The irony that irrational people blame the right choices proves that this village is abnormal. The question of what is normal is confusing to readers. The writer seems to want the reader to think deeply about this irony. After that, even though villagers determine the victim, villagers’ conversations are relaxed and peaceful. Villagers said “A girl whispered, ‘I hope it’s not Nancy,” and the sound of the whisper reached the edge of the crowd” (207~208). If they are chosen by the lottery, they would be victim. There is a big different between lottery and murder, but it is the same thing for the villagers because their ancestors started this tradition. Although readers know this tradition is nonsense, villagers believe it from the bottom of the heart. This irony give to readers a wired and creepy sensation about this village. Finally, Shirley Jackson placed the children at the beginning of this story to create ironic fears in this fiction. “The children assembled first, of course. … or clung to the hands of their older brother of sisters” (8~15). Children are a symbol of peace and innocence, but in this story this truth has been corrupted by crime. They are gathering stone which using murder with smile, such as child's play. At the beginning of the story, readers would have a question why are they gathering stones? When Mrs. Hutchison dies, this question reveals to be frightening fact. The difference between bias about the child and this murder is the irony point of
Myungsub Eum
English School of Canada
Crime Disguised as Innocence “The Lottery” Horror writers ponder how to make the tension more tricky-not directly. Supernatural horrors are interesting either, but fear in daily life is more likely to be empathetic. Shirley Jackson is one of the most famous writers for creating this fear. He contains such daily fears in his works, particularly in this writing - the name is The Lottery. The theme of The Lottery is a crime disguised as innocence, which is clear from characters, irony and foreshadowing. The Lottery is easy to read and short story. In a small village, the villagers preparing the lottery. Although they are peaceful and …show more content…
This village’s atmosphere seems to peaceful, but inside of village fulfill with irony. Initially, other villages already quit the lottery, but old man Warner blamed them even though they make the right choice. Warner said “Old Man Warner snorted. ‘Pack of crazy fools’ … There’s always been a lottery’” (138~142). Objectively, their decision is rational and proper, but these villagers deem wrong. The irony that irrational people blame the right choices proves that this village is abnormal. The question of what is normal is confusing to readers. The writer seems to want the reader to think deeply about this irony. After that, even though villagers determine the victim, villagers’ conversations are relaxed and peaceful. Villagers said “A girl whispered, ‘I hope it’s not Nancy,” and the sound of the whisper reached the edge of the crowd” (207~208). If they are chosen by the lottery, they would be victim. There is a big different between lottery and murder, but it is the same thing for the villagers because their ancestors started this tradition. Although readers know this tradition is nonsense, villagers believe it from the bottom of the heart. This irony give to readers a wired and creepy sensation about this village. Finally, Shirley Jackson placed the children at the beginning of this story to create ironic fears in this fiction. “The children assembled first, of course. … or clung to the hands of their older brother of sisters” (8~15). Children are a symbol of peace and innocence, but in this story this truth has been corrupted by crime. They are gathering stone which using murder with smile, such as child's play. At the beginning of the story, readers would have a question why are they gathering stones? When Mrs. Hutchison dies, this question reveals to be frightening fact. The difference between bias about the child and this murder is the irony point of