Winners Lose in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson - 512 Words

Winners Lose Most people who fantasize about winning the lottery dream about quitting their jobs, traveling the world, and buying $100,000 cars. However, in â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, the villagers mentally prepare themselves to be stoned if they are unlucky enough to win and hope that they lose. Shirley Jackson uses many literary elements throughout â€Å"The Lottery†, such as allegories, symbolism, foreshadowing, the narrator’s tone, and her writing style, which are all used to covey a specific meaning. In the reader’s mind, the lottery is most likely seen as a good thing. Nothing about the lottery raises a red flag, much like the seemingly innocent, happy village. Nothing seems to be wrong with either†¦ at first. The lottery is actually an allegory/symbol for the village. While in the surface, both seem fine, after a while, it becomes apparent something is off (with the lottery and the village), what with the kids collecting rocks (fore shadowing) and the strange attitude all the adults have. Symbolism is seen often throughout â€Å"The Lottery†. One example of this is the characters names. Mr. Summer’s name symbolizes that, through the money he gets from his coal business, he has a lot of leisure time. Mr. Graves’ name clearly symbolizes and foreshadows the grave situation that is to come. The color black symbolizes death throughout the story. The black box and the black dot on a piece of paper lead to death. The box also symbolizes the tradition itself, and theShow MoreRelatedLiterary Elements in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson1334 Words   |  6 Pagesshort story, â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson communicates this theme by showing how the villagers participate in a lottery every year. In life, there are people who follow tradition because the have to, or they are used to following without question. The author, Shirley Jackson was born on December 14, 1916 in San Francisco, Cal ifornia. In 1937, Shirley Jackson attended Syracuse University where she began to write short stories. She was famous for the short story, â€Å"The Lottery,† and her best sellerRead MoreEssay about The Rocking Horse vs Lottery996 Words   |  4 PagesProfessor ENGL 102-B54 LUO 3 February 2014 â€Å"The Lottery† vs. â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† In â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner,† by D. H. Lawrence, and â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, the two authors illustrate symbols and themes throughout their stories in which one common idea is present: perhaps winning is not always positive. â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner,† by D.H. Lawrence is a fictional story about a woman’s obsession for money and the lack of love and affection she shows to her family. HerRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Lottery 916 Words   |  4 Pages The Foreshadowing in â€Å"The Lottery† On a warm day in late June, villagers gather in the square to participate in a lottery run by Mr. Summers. The children arrive first and begin collecting stones until their parents call them to order. Mr. Summers calls each head of the household forward to a black wooden box, where each selects a slip of paper. Once the men have chosen, Mr. Summers allows everyone to open the paper and see who wins. Bill Hutchinson wins and his wife immediately starts protestingRead MoreCritical Analysis of The Lottery695 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery,† written by Shirley Jackson takes place on the twenty-seventh of June in a small town in the United States. The beginning of the story starts off talking about the local children gathering around and the town square where the lottery is held. At the square, the little boys begin to gather stones from small to large ones and pile them up. The next people to show up at the village square are the husbands as they are discussing daily lif e amongst each other, then finally, the wives beginRead MoreWinners Will Be Executed Short Story Analysis1085 Words   |  5 PagesWinning a lottery is a good thing, right? Someone buys a ticket, then scratches it off or waits to see if they hold the winning number in their hands. However, that is not the case in Shirley Jackson’s world of â€Å"The Lottery†. In her critically acclaimed short story, a small town gathers in the village square and draws a name out of a box, and the ‘winner’ of their lottery is brutally stoned to death. All of this is done in a calm and orderly fashion, as well as without question. The lottery is a yearlyRead MoreEnglish 102 Fiction Essay1129 Words   |  5 PagesMLA Outline THESIS: The themes of Shirley Jackson’s, â€Å"The Lottery† and D.H. Lawrence’s, â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† demonstrate a very powerful and sinister aspect of fallen human nature. The characters in both of these stories are driven to what many would describe as insanity in the pursuit of a passion. Ultimately, these pursuits end in unimaginable tragedy and pain. I. The townspeople in â€Å"The Lottery† and the family members in â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† are caught up in their passions. Read MoreThe Theme Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson1159 Words   |  5 PagesWhen â€Å"The Lottery† begins, nothing seems unusual about this community, no hint of what is to come, or how heinous an act is about to occur. As they ready themselves for what seems to be a cheerful event, preparing as if to win something valuable, rather than to lose this lottery, eagerness and enthusiasm fill the air. The tradition, this community has been following, is overly duteous, more sheep like, illustrating the extent to which people will go to fit in, to be part of a crowd, to feel acceptedRead MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery Essay878 Words   |  4 PagesMichael Espinoza English 1302-5003 Professor Johnson June 22, 2015 Research-Based Argument Essay Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† Born on December 14, 1916, in San Francisco, California, Shirley Jackson was an American author whose novels and short stories are still relevant today. Jackson grew up in California and moved East with her family when she was 17 years old. She began her college career at the University of Rochester, withdrew for one year to practice her writing skills at homeRead MoreThe Lottery Shirley Jackson Analysis1089 Words   |  5 Pages In Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery,† the story conducts a â€Å"lottery† that involves the families of the town to go into a drawing. Once the drawing is done, the winner of the lottery is used as a sacrifice in the town and is pelted by stones thrown from the community, including children. Furthermore, the basis of â€Å"The Lottery† has to do with psychological problems and influence. Psychoanalysis is built upon Sigmund Freud’s theories of psychology, which asserts that the human mind is affected by theirRe ad MoreCompare Contrast Fiction Essay794 Words   |  4 PagesCompare Contrast: The Rocking-Horse Winner/The Lottery ENGL 102_B40: Literature and Composition Spring 2011 Michaela Gates L23562144 APA Gambling, whether for life or money, is risky and success is not guaranteed, even if you ‘win’. Two different tales both involving risk. 1. Gambling for something valuable - One for life and the other for money 2. Characters’ Personalities - Paul was hopeful and cared deeply for his