Essay about Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Thesis: The short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson found in Perrines Literature written by Thomas R. Arp is a story full of symbolism. I. Names are used to represent different aspects of the story. a. Mr. Summers is a bright and cheerful man. His attitude, demeanor, and name represent the summer. Mr.Graves name represents what is about to happen. They are sending someone to their grave. These names are obvious as to what they mean. b. Mrs. Delacroixs name comes from the Latin word for crucifix. Mr. And Mrs. Adams name is used to represent humanity. These names you have to look a little more deeply into. II. The items used to hide the lottery are also significant in their own†¦show more content†¦Author Summary Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco, California on December 14, 1919. The family left California and moved to New York when she was sixteen. At age twenty Shirley enrolled at the University of Syracuse. There she met Stanley Edgar Hyman. Her and Hyman were later married in 1940. Her literary production increased tremendously after her marriage and the birth of their four children. Unfortunately with all of her success she was still human, with human problems. She was an agoraphobic and severely depressed. The may be why her stories are so far out in left field compared to what was being written at the time, and even today. Her writing was an outlet for her and this lead so many successful works of literature. Shirley Jacksons stories always seem to center on one thing: almost every story is about a protagonists discovering or failing to discover or successfully ignoring an alternate way of perceiving a set of circumstances or the world. Often a change in the characters perspective leads to terror, anxiety, neurosis, or even loss of their identity. Jacksons most notable work The Lottery is a ghastly story that tells of the way people blindly follow traditions and conform to their society. She also published many short stories in periodicals such as the New Yorker, Good Housekeeping, Womans Day, The Hudson Review, and The Yale Review. She also published novels such as TheShow MoreRelatedSymbolism In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson869 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism is used throughout The Lottery in the character names. Author, Shirley Jackson, uses the name of, Mr. Graves, to foreshadow the story and explain what â€Å"The Lottery† really is. Mr. Graves is the one who carries the three-legged stool which could indicate two things: the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or it could mean the past, present and future, saying tha t â€Å"The Lottery† will always be among the people of the village. In addition, he is also the owner of the post office andRead MoreSymbolism Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson926 Words   |  4 PagesWhen incorporated well, symbolism enhances a story’s overall impact. Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery† contains symbolism to affect the readers’ feelings as well as add interest. The story begins with the villagers gathering at the square to participate in the lottery. The villagers chat while waiting for the event to begin. After Mr. Summers comes with a black box, he stirs the pieces of paper in the box. The narrators describe the lottery as an old ritual that the community continuesRead MoreSymbolism Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson1577 Words   |  7 PagesShirley Jackson s The Lottery , is a story that is filled with symbolism. The author uses symbolism to help her represent human nature as tainted, no matter how pure one thin ks of himself or herself, or how pure their environment may seem to be. The story is very effective in raising many questions about the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. The Lottery clearly expresses Jackson s feelings concerning mankind?s evil nature hiding behind traditions and ritualsRead MoreSymbolism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson879 Words   |  4 PagesShirley Jackson, the author of the short story â€Å"The Lottery† is an unusual story of a town caught in a trap of following tradition. Shirley Jackson uses many symbols in the story to relate to the theme. By doing this it helps the reader understand the story and the message she is trying to get across. Jackson uses tone, setting, and symbolism to conduct a theme for her readers. By doing this she creates connections to the theme by using the black box and old man Warner as a symbol. Old man WarnerRead MoreUse of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson1146 Words   |  5 Pageswhat is known as Symbolism. Symbolism is the use of object, name, or person to represent an idea. If a name is being use, a name such as autumn can represent the adulthood of a human. Creatures such as an Eagle, represents ‘Freedom’ and ‘America’. Even inanimate objects can represent ideas; the light bulb represents ideas that just sparked into a character’s head. In the short story, â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, a village has just entered the month of June, meaning that the lottery is to begin.Read MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay748 Words   |  3 PagesThe Lottery: Symbolism In her story â€Å"The Lottery†, Shirley Jackson manages to catch the readers’ attention and ultimately shock them with an unexpected ending; all of which help her emphasize her critique toward the dark side of human nature and the evil that resides, sometimes, in those who we less expect it from. Jackson uses symbolism throughout the story that helps her set the mood and also makes the readers wonder and analyze the senseless violence and cruelty in their own lives. It all startsRead MoreUse of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson954 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism means like any place, person or thing that is something but can be interpreted in a different way. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a short story that shows symbolism, to give hints about the story in all the characters and objects in the story. This Short story takes place in the summer where a small town has a lottery every year round. The person that wins the lottery has a huge impact on the town and the crops that grow in it. Old man Warner is the oldest in the town andRead More, Symbolism, And Themes In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson1252 Words   |  6 PagesShirley Jackson’s The Lottery, is a realism story that was written for the main purpose of entertainment. Jackson writes about a small village that gathers every year for an event they call â€Å"The Lottery†. Every head of households comes up and draws a slip of paper from the box. Bill Hutchinson draws the first slip of paper with the black dot but Tessie Hutchinson quickly exclaims the lottery is not fair. Mr. Summers then puts five slips of paper back into the box, one for each of the family membersRead MoreTheme Of Symbolism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson960 Words   |  4 Pagesagainst it shall be purged with death. The beauty of this world is just a mere mask to hide its monstrosity.Tear off its mask and you shall be bestowed upon the gift of the cruelty of this world. Shirley Jackson’s short story the â€Å"Lottery† illustrates the characte r Tessie Hutchinson as a figure of symbolism as it leads to the theme that the norms of society isolates those who are a victim of labels and expectations because they decorate the origins of sins therefore premonition of the ruin to someRead 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 sacrificed