Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is a very bold, provocative story that has astonished and entertained readers and scholars since its publication in 1948. Since then Jackson’s short story has become one of the most famous short stories in American literature. This is in part due to its creative message and peculiar story with symbolism and hidden meanings which leads to many perspectives. “The Lottery” is a satire of religious traditions and conveys the fact that blindly following and holding on to a tradition or norm of society without questioning can be a dangerous thing even in an evolving society.
Jackson’s short story is set in a small contemporary American village where the villagers gather annually every year for a lottery. Everyone in …show more content…
The old black box that the villagers used for drawing in the lottery could represent the fact that the villagers cannot let go of what is a dying tradition. Because of the old black box wearing down the narrator states that, “The black box grew shabbier each year: by now it was no longer completely black but splintered” (p5.) This proves that the black box is worsening with time and just as the black box becomes shabbier each year, so too does the tradition of the lottery as certain villagers like the ones in North Village talk of giving up the lottery and question the future of the lottery but are uncertain of what would happen. Also Mr. Summers “Spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box.” (5) Shows they keep both because it is tradition and they fear change and what will result from not following the tradition they have done all their lives. In other words, “Although it is old and shabby, the villagers are unwilling or unable to replace it, just as they are unwilling to stop participating in the lottery.” (Wilson 1997) this adds to my point that Jackson made the weakening black box a representation of the lottery and the actual weakening of the tradition …show more content…
In most cases over time, the true meaning behind the tradition fades away and new generations just follow because that’s what they were taught but the tradition continues. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” sheds light on the dangers of blindly following a tradition or norm of a society because in different cultures, people act and follow just as their society acts and it shapes their consciousness and how they perceive their
Jackson’s short story is set in a small contemporary American village where the villagers gather annually every year for a lottery. Everyone in …show more content…
The old black box that the villagers used for drawing in the lottery could represent the fact that the villagers cannot let go of what is a dying tradition. Because of the old black box wearing down the narrator states that, “The black box grew shabbier each year: by now it was no longer completely black but splintered” (p5.) This proves that the black box is worsening with time and just as the black box becomes shabbier each year, so too does the tradition of the lottery as certain villagers like the ones in North Village talk of giving up the lottery and question the future of the lottery but are uncertain of what would happen. Also Mr. Summers “Spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box.” (5) Shows they keep both because it is tradition and they fear change and what will result from not following the tradition they have done all their lives. In other words, “Although it is old and shabby, the villagers are unwilling or unable to replace it, just as they are unwilling to stop participating in the lottery.” (Wilson 1997) this adds to my point that Jackson made the weakening black box a representation of the lottery and the actual weakening of the tradition …show more content…
In most cases over time, the true meaning behind the tradition fades away and new generations just follow because that’s what they were taught but the tradition continues. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” sheds light on the dangers of blindly following a tradition or norm of a society because in different cultures, people act and follow just as their society acts and it shapes their consciousness and how they perceive their