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Literary Devices In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

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There is a common sense when perceiving the idea of winning a lottery, which is people delightedly receive an award, usually money or something bringing bliss or gratification. However, this common sense is totally shattered when it was applied to "The Lottery" story by Shirley Jackson. The award of the lottery in this story, unexpectedly and horrifyingly, could be described in three succinct words : stoned to dead (Jackson). Containing such a harrowing twist at the end, this story is powerful in delivering a metaphor, which is the obstinacy of human beings when it comes to their deep-rooted beliefs or habits, despite how unreasonable and atrocious it can be. The story opened with such an auspicious scene to begin a lottery day, with the sky "was clear and sunny" , "the flowers were blossoming", children were flocking into groups, relishing the freedom of summer, men were talking about "tractors and taxes" with their wives adjacent to them (Jackson). Despite the dreadful upcoming event, the opening scene pointed out the uncanny placid of the village and effectively proved that people living in this village, they became inure to the lottery. There is a detail explaining why people get used to this unbelievable custom, which is the …show more content…

Adams" whispered to "Old Man Warner" about a rumor "that over in the north village they 're talking of giving up the lottery" (Jackson). The "Old Man Warner", who was "the oldest man in town", without hesitation discredited this idea and affirmed the reason for the lottery that "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon"(Jackson). This little debate fitted immaculately as the evidence for the obstinacy of people trying to hold up their beliefs and readily find many reasons to substitute for the immoral or intolerable factor in their beliefs. Anyone who strives to bring new or logical ideas into their beliefs will be considered as trying to distort their full-fledged

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