Shirley Jackson s The Lottery - 896 Words

Shirley Jackson wrote a short story called The Lottery. It was about small village and its village people of roughly around 300 people and every year they have a tradition where all the townspeople gather around a black box and have to pull a piece of paper out to see what family was to draw again. Then once the family was picked they had to put as many pieces of paper in the box as they have in their family and do it all over again. Once every family member picked out of the box, they had to open and see who go the paper with the black dot. The family member with the paper with the black dot was to be stoned.People all over the world follow traditions, but the real questions is do they know the meaning behind the tradition. Shirley Jackson was born in California.Growing up Shirley was more on the heavy side and her mother was not happy about that. She would make rude comments to her and this made her very upset and develop illness (Rubenstein 310). At the age of 16 she moved to New York with her family (Heller). After having an ineffective year at the University Rochester, she then enrolled to the university of Syracuse at the age of 20 (Heller). At this point now it was time for her own independent life and get away from her mother (Heller). Even after she was grown and had her own family, her mother would still terrorize her and send her mail asking about her weight (Rubenstein 310). This took a toll on her because after now having her own kids she started to doShow MoreRelatedShirley Jackson s The Lottery1872 Words   |  8 Pagesword lottery, they think about someone winning a desirable prize. Unfortunately, this is not the case in a small American town that Shirley Jackson introduces us to in her novel, The Lottery. In this novel, readers get to know a patriarch community that takes part in an unusual annual tradition. In this tradition, the town gathers to play a game. The head of each family in the town draws a slip from a black box. One of the slips in the black box contains a black dot. This game is the town s formRead MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery Essay878 Words   |  4 PagesMichael Espinoza English 1302-5003 Professor Johnson June 22, 2015 Research-Based Argument Essay Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† Born on December 14, 1916, in San Francisco, California, Shirley Jackson was an American author whose novels and short stories are still relevant today. Jackson grew up in California and moved East with her family when she was 17 years old. She began her college career at the University of Rochester, withdrew for one year to practice her writing skills at homeRead MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery 880 Words   |  4 PagesShirley Jackson uses irony as a theme to create this almost perfect story where there is an unexpected twist. Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery† is sickening, horrific and intense. This shocking story is about a small town that has all the members’ participate in an annual lottery. Unlike all normal lotteries the winner receives death by stoning rather than a cash prize, as the story advance Tessie places her children in danger to have a better chance at survival. This lottery seems to have no limitRead MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery 1883 Words   |  8 Pagescheer by following the festivities of tradition. Whether it is decorating a tree, lighting up the menorah or preparing for the karamu feast, these events serve as a celebration for the end of the year and preserve their culture. In Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery†, the villagers from an unknown town perform an action to preserve their culture. This small, homely and rural area believe that if they commit a certain deed annually, good crops will be bestowed upon them. The event happens onRead MoreShirley Jackson s The Lottery991 Words   |  4 PagesIn Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery†, we observe a community that is absorbed in their rituals and traditions. In this society, they feel bound to their traditions and are even willing to abandon some of humanity’s deepest morals. The basic question of right and wrong is presented as our morals are disregarded in Jacksonâ₠¬â„¢s tradition based society. Their past is what they look towards when regarding their future. This community feels tied to their fading tradition and refuses to evolve even when everyoneRead MoreMarxist Shirley Jackson s The Lottery1113 Words   |  5 Pagesfar more harmful traditions such as killings. Marxist Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† is a frightening example of what happens when society can only distinguish two classes, specifically the oppressed working class and the wealthy class. This is made clear through the characterization of the higher class, as well as the lower class, and the effects within the norms of a social construct that has led them to carry out the lottery without second guessing its justification. As the story progressesRead MoreAn Analysis Of Shirley Jackson s They Lottery 878 Words   |  4 Pagesstory, â€Å"They Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, the absence of tradition can make some uneasy. The story reflects conformity by the villagers with a bizarre ritual that suggests how dangerous tradition can be when people follow it blindly. Every June 27th, the villagers of a quaint town believe the prize of winning an annual lottery is sacrificing one of their own to ensure a good harvest. They are so blasà © about the event they agree to â€Å"get it over with† so they â€Å"can go back to work† (Jackson 92). TheRead MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery 894 Words   |  4 Pagesinto something magnificent is what author Shirley Jackson achieved with her short story â€Å"The Lottery†. The short story is a brilliant view on tradition. What is normally thought to be a game of joy and winnings is turned into a horrifying ritual that has been blindly executed throughout the years with little reasoning behind it. Though multiple themes tend to arise in stories such as this, the theme â€Å"Fear of change† is the most obvious idea that Jackson seemed to want to get across to the audienceRead MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery Essay1463 Words   |  6 Pages Shirley Jack son is able to convey a deeper understanding of sexism, misogyny, patriarchy, and various gender roles implied by society through the illustration of a corrupt tradition. By breaking down these core concepts in a way which the reader can better comprehend, both Gayle Whittier and Fritz Oehlschlaeger are able to emphasize misogyny and the unfair treatment of women within the short story â€Å"The Lottery.† The patriarchal society is pronounced in the very first few paragraphs of the taleRead MoreSymbolism : A Warn Path, And Shirley Jackson s `` The Lottery ``1636 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolism has been used for hundreds of years it has been used to help writers express different elements of their work. Katherine Mansfield the author of â€Å"Miss Brill,† Eudora Welty author of the short story â€Å"A Warn Path,† and Shirley Jackson author of â€Å"The Lottery† all use symbolism wonderfully in their work. They all use symbolism in a different way but they all use this process to help describe a deeper thought or meaning behind elements of their work. Symbolism is putting a symbolic meaning behind