Symbolism and Irony, “The Lottery” The Lottery is a classic short story written in 1948 by Shirley Jackson. The story describes a small village that partakes in an annual lottery with a brutal, unexpected twist. Several literary elements are used throughout the short story to revel its symbolic meaning. In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses situational irony, as well as symbolism to convey a symbolic message to the reader.
A major literary element found throughout The Lottery is the use of situational irony. Situational irony is a type of irony involving a situation that has an opposite outcome than what is expected (“Situational Irony”). Shirley Jackson demonstrates situational irony in the short story’s title. Generally the term “lottery” …show more content…
The story begins on a clear, sunny summer morning. The townspeople all gather in the village square eagerly awaiting the lottery to start. The setting is depicted as cheerful and peaceful. The adults are casually engaged in small talk and the children are laughing, playing and gathering stones (Jackson 133). There is absolutely no indication that a member of the village is about to be brutally stoned to death. A public execution is the last thing the reader would expect to happen. Jackson used situational irony by describing the setting as optimistic for a sacrificial …show more content…
The timelessness of certain traditional values offer a sense of comfort. In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses the shabby black box to symbolize of the resentment society feels towards change (SparkNotes Editors). This is demonstrated by the villager’s refusal to replace the black box, despite the fact that it is old and decrepit. The villagers have used the same black box in the lottery draw for generations. As a result, the black box is described as, “faded, badly splintered and shabbier each year” (Jackson 134). It would seem logical to replace the old, dilapidated black box. However, when the subject of making a new box was addressed the villagers refused. For the reason that, “no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box” (Jackson 134). Traditions remain timeless because they remain unchanged throughout time. The symbolism of the shabby black box represents how people have the tendency to hold on to familiar things rather that embrace
A major literary element found throughout The Lottery is the use of situational irony. Situational irony is a type of irony involving a situation that has an opposite outcome than what is expected (“Situational Irony”). Shirley Jackson demonstrates situational irony in the short story’s title. Generally the term “lottery” …show more content…
The story begins on a clear, sunny summer morning. The townspeople all gather in the village square eagerly awaiting the lottery to start. The setting is depicted as cheerful and peaceful. The adults are casually engaged in small talk and the children are laughing, playing and gathering stones (Jackson 133). There is absolutely no indication that a member of the village is about to be brutally stoned to death. A public execution is the last thing the reader would expect to happen. Jackson used situational irony by describing the setting as optimistic for a sacrificial …show more content…
The timelessness of certain traditional values offer a sense of comfort. In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses the shabby black box to symbolize of the resentment society feels towards change (SparkNotes Editors). This is demonstrated by the villager’s refusal to replace the black box, despite the fact that it is old and decrepit. The villagers have used the same black box in the lottery draw for generations. As a result, the black box is described as, “faded, badly splintered and shabbier each year” (Jackson 134). It would seem logical to replace the old, dilapidated black box. However, when the subject of making a new box was addressed the villagers refused. For the reason that, “no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box” (Jackson 134). Traditions remain timeless because they remain unchanged throughout time. The symbolism of the shabby black box represents how people have the tendency to hold on to familiar things rather that embrace