Identity And Gender Stereotypes In The Lottery, And Tony Hunter

Through short stories authors often portray through characters how identity can be threatened. Authors such as Marjorie Barnard, the writer of The Lottery, and Tony Hunter, author of Listen to the End Portray through their characters ways in which they 're identities become threatened through various situations they become involved in. Barnard in the story of The Lottery uses various techniques such as narrative and gender representations to portray to readers how Ted who 's wife won the lottery in identity is threatened. In the story Listen to the End, Hunter portrays how his main character whom doesn 't have a name feels her identity is threatened using techniques of gender representation and various narrative conventions to show her weaknesses …show more content…
Hunter portrays her as a typical “helpless female” in need of a males help. Hunter uses various techniques to portray this idea, one being personification, “The tall Victorian houses frowned down disapprovingly on her small figure in the bright red rain coat.” This gives the idea that she is out of place, and is being watched, or looked over by an overwhelming presence and “frowned down disapprovingly” gives the human-like characteristics. Her red rain coat and situation symbolises ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, she is watched by a male, bad things happen to her and she is portrayed as the victim which relates to her identity being threatened as she is portrayed as a ‘typical female needing a mans help’. While she is home alone she speaks on the phone to a man assumed to be a friend, the dialogue suggests the idea of males being more so dominant than females as most of the conversation was orders from the man telling the girl what to do. Through these techniques it is easy to see how the girls identity is …show more content…
Hunter used imagery to give the picture of a naked women getting ready to bath with the quote “Goosebumps sprang up all over her and her nipples stiffened and became erect”, this portrays her as a sexual object as he has included details which aren 't really necessary in order to tell the story. This threatens her identity in the fact she is not seen as a strong independent woman who can take care of herself but, one who is easily scared and needs the help from a male to make her feel safe. Hunter selects to use dialogue in the story which also shows and underlying intention of the male while he is on the phone. The man tells her to pack a bag, go to the pub get the largest drink, he would join her and he would let her stay at his house the night. “Go in and order yourself the biggest Scotch they sell. Wait for me.”, “Meet you in the pub”, “ You can come back to my place. OK?” Shows he is using this opportunity to spend the night with this girl, The girl’s identity is threatened because she has let someone else take control over her, so she is seen as the ‘weaker’ of the two and threatens the idea of a strong independent