The Lottery

Both “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “First They Came” by Martin Niemoller deals with speaking out and tragic death. In “The Lottery,” Mr. Summers conducted the lottery this year. Over the years, the black box is passed on. Each year, one person gets stoned to death. In “The Lottery,” death comes by lottery and while the people are not like killing a person that they care for, but it is a tradition. In “First They Came”, the main character does not seem to care about others who have died…

story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the setting plays a major contribution in the story. The setting also influences the theme and the tone of the story. The story follows a small town’s tradition of an annual lottery. The day begins bright and sunny. Then through the story, the tone changes to rather treacherous. The villagers first gather in the town square to participate in the annual lottery. Mrs. Hutchinson arrives late. Then they begin picking slips of paper out of the lottery box.…

insignificant thing in the story until the very end where in it is revealed to the readers. “The Lottery”, a story written by Shirley Jackson, is about a town that is practicing the act of sacrificing people for prosperity through the use of a lottery. The two main symbols that was used in this story is the rocks that the kids gather up, which represent a rite of passage, and the object used in the lottery itself the paper with a black spot, which represent death. Near the beginning of the…

The story revolves around an annual event or ritual referred to as “the lottery.” The author seems to have kept the intended meaning of the short story to herself with an expectation that it will become clear overtime. However, with regards to hostile reactions from readers Jackson was compelled to provide a brief explanation about her intention. In this case, she wrote with the sole purpose of making a commentary on human nature as opposed to a specific criticism of various rural communities…

3). The breast ironing practice is an example of old fashion tradition and superstition, which is exactly what Shirley Jackson targets in her short story "The Lottery,"…

1. The title itself has a positive connotation. A lottery is often seen as a fun, joy filled event, allowing people to test their luck with the chance to win a prize. The title is followed up by a detailed description of a beautiful warm summer day, setting a serene and peaceful tone in the village. From the title and the introduction, an inference may be drawn that this is a story with a happy ending. However, the winner of this lottery is no winner at all, as they are rewarded with death. The…

In Shirley Jackson’s 1948 short story “The Lottery,” Jackson describes a small community gathering around in the square to participate in the annual lottery on the morning of June twenty-seventh. She describes the distressing issues of humanity in society. Through symbolism, anonymous setting, character development, and irony, Jackson reveals how the concept of conformity can create darkness in human nature. She illustrates the power of conformity and violence of society’s cult. She conveys the…

Nobody likes to follow the rules, but following them too blindly can detrimental. Too bad the citizens in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” can’t seem to realize this. In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”, an old village holds an annual ritualistic “lottery” that takes place to limit the population size by means of stoning the “lucky winner” to death. Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” is satirical dystopian short story set in a futuristic society where its…

Shirley Jackson’s 'The Lottery' is considered one of the most thought provoking stories since it leaves the reader with an unforgettable experience as the narrative offers a plot twist. The story begins so innocently with the reader not knowing what to expect only to realize the narrative’s plot at the very end. The author applies various literary devices, including irony and symbolism, to come up with a captivating story. In this short story, irony is a dominant literary device because the…

The Lottery Questions 1. Acorrding to multiple sources, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson recieved very bad reviews. This short story was published in the New Yorker, and was read by thousands of people. Shirley Jackson recieve 300 letters in two months,in which only 13 were positive. Even her parents didn’t support her story. So why would it recieve such bad reviews? Well, acording to the New Yorker’s response to some complaints: “Miss Jackson’s story can be interpreted in half a dozen different…