Thesis For The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Summers and Mr. Graves counted the families in the village and added them in the drawing. The slip of paper with the black dot determined which family won. Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves were always in charge of putting the chips of paper in the box and locking it away in Mr. Summers property, “The night before the lottery, Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves made up the slips of paper and put them in the box (Jackson, Page 237). ” When they lottery was pulled on the Hutchinson’s Tessie found it unfair.

We come to find that the lottery is not just some game, but in all reality, the “winner” will be stoned to death by the rest of the townspeople. Being that there are serious consequences of the lottery, the townspeople go with the flow because they do not want to be stoned also. At the end of the story the readers realize that the townspeople have not gathered for a game and the name was not drawn for a special prize or rewards. Tessie, the “winner”, shows up late to the lottery, claiming she forgot what day it was. What is even more surprisingly ironic about Tessie Hutchinson being the “winner” is that her and her husband have always protested the lottery.

One reason why so many traditions are kept, not just the lottery but also traditions in our own society, are that they have ties to the person or society’s very beginning. The villagers, in this case, do not want to replace the box or get rid of the lottery because it has been happening ever since their village was first

“The Lottery,” is a short story written by Shirley Jackson portraying what readers think would be an innocent story. The story takes place in the summer, in a small village of 300 people. In the story Jackson describes the people of the village gathering for their annual lottery that has happened for years. She sets up her readers by naming the story “The Lottery,” which have them believe that the lottery will be a great outcome. Although, as readers read the story they have an odd feeling that something terrible will occur at any moment and there will be no great outcome.

Despite Mrs. Hutchinson's attempts to stop the lottery, the villagers ignore her cries. Meanwhile, Old Man Warner, who had successfully survived 77 years of the lottery, is the polar opposite of Tessie. He called the other nearby towns a "pack of crazy fools"

Mr. Adams suggests that they should quit the lottery but he is put down by old man Warner who has participated in it for 77 years. Some of the other villages have quit the lottery but the village of 300 will not quit it. They believe that sacrificing a person will help the crops grow but it’s really the weather that does that. They are blindly following the tradition but they have

Shirley Jackson's, “The Lottery,” portrays the tradition of a small town in which a member of the community must get sacrificed in order to allow for a good agricultural season. The ways in which they do so is a fair lottery where citizens draw and see if they are the “chosen one” which they end up stoning to death. All citizens must partake in the lottery, including children and the elderly. Through Jackson’s development of the story, the people seem to be in a state of excitement and thrill when being part of the lottery. The citizens are constantly gossiping, laughing, and kids playing, waiting to see who is next to be stoned.

In today’s society, winning the lottery would bring great joy to someone hence the word “winning” which is usually considered something positive but in the story “The Lottery”, winning the lottery isn’t exactly a win. The story takes place on a nice sunny day in a small village packed with families that are fairly close. Annually, all people inhabiting the village gather together and hold the lottery which is a tradition where there are as many slips as there are families, one having a black dot on it. One by one the head of each household draws a slip not daring to peek at it until directed to do so. After each family has drawn their slip to fate, the family with the black dot must then draw again, but this time each member of the family draws a slip with only one having the black dot on it.

When most people hear the word “lottery” they think of fame, fortune, and an instantly better life. However, in some cases, a lottery may not always be as great as it seems. In a short story by Shirley Jackson, winning the lottery didn’t mean all your problems were over, rather, it meant they were just beginning. The story centers around a town that holds a lottery on June 27th of every year. Each family must draw a slip of paper, the family with a dot on their paper remains in the drawing.

According to the most elderly man in the village, “Old Man Warner:” “‘Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.’” (p.22 l.260-261) The first villagers created the lottery to acquire a heavy harvest. Their method to this was questionable, considering they were willing to take the life of

As the infamous serial killer, Richard Ramirez, once stated, “We’ve all got the power in our hands to kill, but most people are afraid to use it. The ones who aren’t afraid, control life itself.” Although Ramirez was referring to a single person who may have the desire and intention to kill others, his quote still holds true for Shirley Jackson’s short story, The Lottery. The people of the town hold an annual ritual of each picking a scrap of paper from a box, which ultimately chooses a sacrifice to ensure good crop for that year. The subtle darkness within the story becomes more prevalent with Jackson’s use of symbols and instances of irony.

Jayson E. Pedere 4SE3 Literary Analysis THE LOTTERY By: Shirley Jackson Synopsis The story started when people are gathered every end of June for the annual lottery ritual in a small village. All the head of each family are required to grab a slip of paper in the box that is placed in the middle of the village.

When the word lottery comes to mind, people would expect a colossal amount of excitement buzzing around the area. In Shirley Jackson’s story “The Lottery,” it contradicts the traditional views of a lottery. This particular raffle is an annual event that is set in a small town where everyone knows everyone. Instead of this tradition being amusing and enjoyable to the citizens, they feel that it is just another day. This is from the same routine every year and it begins to feel monotonous.

The villagers are reluctant to give up their beliefs because they think that they might lose their distinction that separates them from others. Old Man Warner strongly disapproves of people who want to quit the lottery. He says, “There’s always been a lottery”3 so for him, these people are “crazy.”4 However, for the readers, his reluctance means that he is afraid to change his place within the society. He has gained the title of Old Man not only because he is the oldest man in the village but he has also been in the lottery for 77 years.

Also speaking of The Lottery today in June 27th which is lottery day. It takes place in town square in the village by the bank and the post office. People are gathering. Kids are collecting rocks and putting it into a pile. The equipment is being brought out by Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves.