Shirley Phelps-Roper

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…

if he or she were actually present in the story. A setting of a story must be colorful, descriptive and inquisitive. Shirley Jackson did a tremendous job of creating such a setting in the story “The Lottery.” The setting of the village is that of what a reader might see in an old British film Starting the story as if the reader was already present within the village, Shirley Jackson began to play with the readers imaginations. For example the author gave a vibrant…

Though tattered and splintered, old and worn, the black box remains. Year after year the same old black box, with some possible minimal repairs if needed, is used in the lottery. No one wants to upset tradition by altering it in any major way or make a new one. It is not exactly the original black box but it contains pieces that were part of the original, small pieces that survived its storage and use throughout time. The villagers have no absolute knowledge of how the lottery began, yet…

short story has its own style, form and content although authors tend to add their own little touches to them, which makes each one somewhat different to the others. A good example of an authors touch within a short story would be "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, since she uses a fair amount of symbolism in order to relate the contents of the story to the story itself, such as the names of the characters, objects as well as certain events. Symbolism is used a lot in many different writings, but…

The stories “The Lottery” by Jackson and “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner were also written in the 20th century. By reading these two stories, one can find the central conflict in both is individual versus society theme. It’s drawing the individual struggle against collectively accepted rules. Both also characterized the struggles one goes through to avoid the loss of family traditions during these changing times, in “The Lottery”, Tess Hutchinson is a victim while Emily is a victim in “A Rose for…

These can be simple, from certain recipes to the way children are raised. However traditions can change overtime. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson follows one such tradition. One that with time, loses aspects and meaning. Jackson 's short story written in 1948 follows this theme throughout the exposition to the resolution of the story. In “The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson a diminutive farm town follows an important tradition. Each year a “lottery” is held in order to bring fruitful…

Authors often use their stories as commentaries to convey the societal shortcomings of their societies. Hence, they also promote an alteration in social and or personal values. Evidently the commentary revealed throughout the works of Ambrose Bierce, Shirley Jackson, and Tim O’Brien is the fear of being a social outcast, which then alters the values within the characters present in the stories. In the short story On the Rainy River the protagonist of the story Tim O’Brien is faced with…

Jackson and Tradition Change is the only thing that is guaranteed to be constant, but many people are afraid of it. The idea of something new is somewhat intimidating, especially if one does not try to understand it. In Shirley Jackson’s the lottery she shows how people are persecuted for factors that are simply out of their own control. It is this last behavior, the need to feel a part of the gruesomeness that exists in American society, that Jackson so skillfully depicts in “The…

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and the film Bella tell very different stories, yet they both create a moving storyline for their audiences. “The Lottery” presents an entertaining story with a jolting twist while Bella reveals life-changing situations. Extensively elaborating on the literary elements setting, point of view, and symbolism both the short story and the film convey profound details that enhance the overall meaning of the story being told. The settings in “The Lottery” and Bella…

Symbolism and Tradition The short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, takes place in a small town that has strong traditional values. Jackson conceals the darkness behind the lottery, by using symbolization and characterization. It is not until very close to the end of the story that the story comes full circle and readers find the true significance behind the lottery. Shirley Jackson utilizes symbolism and subtle element to demonstrate the standardized demonstrations of the characters,…