In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” the audience is introduced to a village that is gathering together for an annual drawing. Jackson uses symbolism to tell a suspenseful story that ends in an unexpected tragic ending. The timeline of event is build up by symbolism and suspense of the drawing and outcome of the lottery drawing, it shows the cruelty of humanity and that old traditions die hard. For most, lotteries usually mean winning a good prize like money, but in this case winning the lottery means being stoned to death.
At first Jackson introduces the village to readers describing the village as bright and calm writing, “…The flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (290.) The men are getting ready to gather in the town square along with the women, and the children are leaving school. …show more content…
“The general tone of the early letters, however, was kind of wide-eyed, shocked innocence. People at first were not so much concerned with what the story meant; what they wanted to know was where these lotteries were held, and whether they could go there and watch” (299.) The timeline of event that Jackson uses in “The Lottery” have readers thinking that the town was calm and that the village people were doing their civic duty in keeping a tradition alive. I myself did not expect the conclusion that she had coming in this story, but enjoyed the symbolism and suspense she used. After analyzing the story it is safe to say that Jackson does this to show how cruel humanity can be and the extent people would go to follow a tradition. Had the Mrs. Hutchinson not told her husband Bill to hurry and select his paper, or had this village followed the new adopted tradition of what the other villages were doing by not conducting a lottery anymore it may have not ended with the stoning of Mrs.
At first Jackson introduces the village to readers describing the village as bright and calm writing, “…The flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (290.) The men are getting ready to gather in the town square along with the women, and the children are leaving school. …show more content…
“The general tone of the early letters, however, was kind of wide-eyed, shocked innocence. People at first were not so much concerned with what the story meant; what they wanted to know was where these lotteries were held, and whether they could go there and watch” (299.) The timeline of event that Jackson uses in “The Lottery” have readers thinking that the town was calm and that the village people were doing their civic duty in keeping a tradition alive. I myself did not expect the conclusion that she had coming in this story, but enjoyed the symbolism and suspense she used. After analyzing the story it is safe to say that Jackson does this to show how cruel humanity can be and the extent people would go to follow a tradition. Had the Mrs. Hutchinson not told her husband Bill to hurry and select his paper, or had this village followed the new adopted tradition of what the other villages were doing by not conducting a lottery anymore it may have not ended with the stoning of Mrs.