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Characterization In 'The Lottery, And The Destructors'

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Characterization Characterization can change an ordinary mail man into a motivated protagonist who is able to affect a group. God first introduced this idea when He chose a common man named Noah, because of his attitude and faithful behavior, and commanded him to “build an ark” (Genesis 6:14 NIV). Even though their stories are not as dramatic as the end of the world, Shirley Jackson and Graham Greene hid their unlikely protagonist in their short stories “The Lottery” and “The Destructors”. Jackson and Greene use strong characterization that allows their protagonist’s motives to influence their group’s emotions, attitudes and behaviors. Protagonist Although Jackson’s “The Lottery” is filled with many different outspoken characters, she utilizes characterization to turn an ordinary housewife into the conflicted protagonist. When Tessie Hutchinson is first introduced to the reader as a flat character, Jackson describes her as just an ordinary citizen “Mrs. Hutchinson came hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater thrown over her shoulders” (Jackson, 1948, para.8). As Jackson’s short story progresses the reader can notice how the use of attitude, behavior and interaction develops her protagonist into more of a round character “She hesitated for a minute, looking around defiantly, and then set her lips and went up …show more content…

In “The Lottery” after Mrs. Hutchinson drew the black spot from the box, winning the lottery, Jackson immediately wrote how the people of the town would start to surround her with rocks. Although Mrs. Hutchinson pleaded and sympathize with the people’s emotions and attitudes “It isn’t fair, it isn’t right,” Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her” (Jackson, 1948, para. 75), they would ignore her pleas and followed through with their town’s

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