A Time to Live and a Scheduled Time to Die
How ironic that Shirley Jackson in 1948 created a story that illustrated mankind’s compulsion to create ceremonies that would endanger the lives of their inhabited populace. What’s so alarming is that this practice is still carried out today in remote parts of the world. Indigenous tribes and self-established societies in the Far East and the Amazons continue to bedazzle and amaze the advanced civilized world whenever they are found. Most civilized societies are bewildered at how these uncivilized tribes could still be in existence today, misaligned with their traditions and sacred practices of killing each other at a designated date and time, just to appease and satisfy a “god” or belief system emplaced …show more content…
It will not be denied only appeased this one time ceremonially. Sure death has visited this town possibly countless times, but this one time belongs to the Black Box, and all its history. No one has the authority to question it legitimacy nor its existence. Life must and will be sacrificed and all fall under its umbrella. How ironic that Mrs. Hutchinson would be late to the town center, and by her own admission reminded all of her absent mindlessness from the all-important date in the civility of village. But did the Black Box know she was missing and that is the reason why Mr. Summer waited patiently for all to be accounted for? After all, rumors had it that Mr. Hutchinson was missing his wife who was already identified as being a rebel roster. A menace to the established norms of the public eye. Was she predisposed of being the sacrificial lamb? Symbolic of the “Sacrificial Lamb” so that all may not feel the overburden of a growing society filled with ideas permeating other towns about the doing away of traditions and man-made …show more content…
For the all of the families, but most importantly the Hutchinson Family, they will gather as a family one final time in the center of the public square not to say a “jovial”, but to become a part of an insidious tradition which will be carried out by members of the victims own family. After all, according to Mr. Summers, “let’s be quick and get it done, after all we mustn’t be late for lunch”. And with those final reassuring command, the town folks gather to pick up the gathered and prepared stones and quickly move in on the defenseless victim called Mrs. Hutchinson. As she gurgles with one final cry of disapproval of this murderous practice, she slips away before twelve noon when a rock connects between the temple of her head and she falls to ground satisfying the Black Box, the traditions, the town folks and everyone who sanctified the annual ritual of killing one of their own without any questions or even giving it any consideration of when and how the ceremony was ever created or implemented. Everyone was in agreement that the history from the untold beginning of the town folk was that its traditions were created and will be maintained no matter the cost to anyone, even if it meant your very own
How ironic that Shirley Jackson in 1948 created a story that illustrated mankind’s compulsion to create ceremonies that would endanger the lives of their inhabited populace. What’s so alarming is that this practice is still carried out today in remote parts of the world. Indigenous tribes and self-established societies in the Far East and the Amazons continue to bedazzle and amaze the advanced civilized world whenever they are found. Most civilized societies are bewildered at how these uncivilized tribes could still be in existence today, misaligned with their traditions and sacred practices of killing each other at a designated date and time, just to appease and satisfy a “god” or belief system emplaced …show more content…
It will not be denied only appeased this one time ceremonially. Sure death has visited this town possibly countless times, but this one time belongs to the Black Box, and all its history. No one has the authority to question it legitimacy nor its existence. Life must and will be sacrificed and all fall under its umbrella. How ironic that Mrs. Hutchinson would be late to the town center, and by her own admission reminded all of her absent mindlessness from the all-important date in the civility of village. But did the Black Box know she was missing and that is the reason why Mr. Summer waited patiently for all to be accounted for? After all, rumors had it that Mr. Hutchinson was missing his wife who was already identified as being a rebel roster. A menace to the established norms of the public eye. Was she predisposed of being the sacrificial lamb? Symbolic of the “Sacrificial Lamb” so that all may not feel the overburden of a growing society filled with ideas permeating other towns about the doing away of traditions and man-made …show more content…
For the all of the families, but most importantly the Hutchinson Family, they will gather as a family one final time in the center of the public square not to say a “jovial”, but to become a part of an insidious tradition which will be carried out by members of the victims own family. After all, according to Mr. Summers, “let’s be quick and get it done, after all we mustn’t be late for lunch”. And with those final reassuring command, the town folks gather to pick up the gathered and prepared stones and quickly move in on the defenseless victim called Mrs. Hutchinson. As she gurgles with one final cry of disapproval of this murderous practice, she slips away before twelve noon when a rock connects between the temple of her head and she falls to ground satisfying the Black Box, the traditions, the town folks and everyone who sanctified the annual ritual of killing one of their own without any questions or even giving it any consideration of when and how the ceremony was ever created or implemented. Everyone was in agreement that the history from the untold beginning of the town folk was that its traditions were created and will be maintained no matter the cost to anyone, even if it meant your very own