Analysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery Essay

Michael 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 home, and then enrolled at Syracuse University in New York. She graduated from Syracuse in 1940. Jackson wrote many widely acclaimed novels and short stories that focused on the supernatural, including the best-selling novel â€Å"The Haunting of Hill House†. She is also the author of the well-known short story, â€Å"The Lottery†, which was first published in The New Yorker in 1948 and is still required reading in many high schools in the United States. One of the main themes of â€Å"The Lottery† is the danger of following tradition blindly. This theme can be seen in the story’s characters and plot as well as in the symbolism used by Jackson in the story. The characters in â€Å"The Lottery† live in a small town that holds an annual lottery in the town square. The event is an old tradition and the townspeople gather together for it without questioning why. Mr. Summers, the lottery official, gets ready for the event by making paper slips for the following day. The children gather stones for theShow MoreRelatedAn 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 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 MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery 894 Words   |  4 Pagesinto something magnific ent 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 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 ad vance 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 Essay1463 Words   |  6 Pages Shirley Jackson 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 MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery, And Kurt Vonnegut Jr. s Harrison Bergeron1604 Words   |  7 PagesA common theme of placing societal influences over personal values and beliefs can be found in Shirley Jackson’s, â€Å"The Lottery†, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†. These short stories describe situations in which the citizens allow the superiors to have full control, without thinking twice about the laws and traditions that require their submission. Both of these short stories are similar in theme, because each tells about a community that chooses to participate in cruel and inhumane traditionsRead MoreAn Unkindness of Tradition: Shirley Jackson ´s Biography1624 Words   |  7 Pagesmorbid and daunting way of writing. A common form is that of suspense and mystery. Shirley Jackson takes mystery to a distinctive level. She depicts an era that has not yet been revealed. By looking at the background of this author, analyzing her writing and responding personally you will better enhance your learning experience and connection with this type of dark literature. Author Biography Shirley Jackson was an extremely well liked American author during the 1900s. However, in recent yearsRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesWhen most people play the lottery today, they think about having wealth. Generally, people who win are happy about it whether they win one dollar or a million. The lottery in our society has grown to support education and it is often worth several million dollars. Usually, the winner of the lottery gains a lot of recognition for the money they win. But what would happen if there was a small town where people held a yearly lottery in which the â€Å"winner† was the member of the town who was not sacrificedRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson1438 Words   |  6 PagesWriter Shirley Jackson was born in 1916 in San Francisco, California. Among her early works was The Lottery.Do not be fooled by this name.The Lottery was the highly controversial and famous tale about a village that partakes in an annual death ritual. On June 26, 1948, subscribers to The New Yorker received a new issue of the magazine in the mail. There was nothing to outwardly indicate that it would be any different, or any more special, than any other issue. But inside was a story that editorsRead MoreFiction Essay - Young Goodman Brown and the Lottery1051 Words   |  5 PagesFICTION ESSAY WRITING STYLE USED: APA OUTLINE I. THESIS: A thorough analysis of Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† and Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† reveals that different literary elements, such as tone and setting, are used to convey the characters’ arrival at dark, sinister places. II. INTRODUCTION III. SHIRLEY JACKSON’S â€Å"THE LOTTERY† A. Setting the tone: Peaceful and relaxing B. Irony: Even though the mood is relaxing, there is a premonition of something bad to