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Juxtaposition In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

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“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a short story that paints an illustration of either a post-civilization society or a pre-civilized society depending on your interpretation of the situation. Regardless though, the civilization that is described throughout the short story is one that would not be considered within the norm when discussing societies in a modern setting. The antithetical juxtaposition of the characters from the beginning of the story to the final stanzas offer an example of conforming to social norms which include the murder of innocent members of the civilization. Throughout the story, Jackson uses foreshadow and biblical allusions to build suspense for the unexpected. Jackson begins by describing what seems to be a normal sunny day at the end of June in a small town in New England where three hundred people gathered in suspense for the upcoming lottery. The first sense of foreshadow is noticed once Jackson mentions “a great pile of stones in one corner of the square” which becomes guarded. As the people entered the square, an ominous feeling is described, as the people are clearly nervous for what is about to happen. The line “the men smile rather than laugh” supports this idea of uneasiness and being nervous. My general thoughts were that the lottery would be a good thing just as it is in today’s society, a reward. …show more content…

Considering majority of stones are sharp and spikey, the children were gathering the smoothest stones because sharp ones would most likely get the job done in a quicker fashion, but smooth stones would force a slow and painful death due to the flat surfaces and round edges which causes more suffering. Jackson implies that the children find regularity in public murder, and that the children will easily follow the lead of their

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