The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay Example For Students

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay Critical essay The Lottery by Shirley Jackson In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses symbolism to make us aware of the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. The story starts off on a beautiful summer day in a small town. The author describes the day as very euphoric but strikes a contrast between the atmosphere of the town and the atmosphere of the people gathered in the square. The atmosphere is subdued, where the children are gathered around quietly. The black box is the central theme or idea in the story. It symbolizes at first some type of mystery, but as we read the ending we realize that it is synonymous with doom. Someones fate lies in an inanimate object, the black box. We do not always enjoy change, even if it might prove beneficial to us. The box is symbolic of our loathing of change; it is old and splintered showing that we cling to what is familiar rather than change and it also symbolizes the traditions of the community. No one in the little town questions the origin of the black box, but accept it as an intrical part of their lives. There is always discussion of people getting a new box, but no one ever really goes through with it. Everuy year, after the lottery, Mr.Summers began talking again about a new box, but every year the subject was allowed to fade off without anythings being done. We will write a custom essay on The Lottery by Shirley Jackson specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The lottery itself is symbolic of the paradox of the human psyche between compassion on one hand and the thirst for violence and cruelty on the other. An example of this is when the children are enjoying a break from school, playing and being children, and suddenly they are being joined by rational adults in stoning a mother to death. It appears that tradition has blinded these people in an irrational way, making them unable to think of a reason why this possibly should not be happening. When forced with the possibility of death, human nature in all its complexity, comes down to one instinctive urge, that of survival. When Tessie was in no danger she was gossiping with the other ladies and even encouraged her husband to go and pick a piece of paper. When Tessie wins the lottery; she pleads for another chance and screams for mercy. She demands that her daughters take their chances as well, which is indicative of regression toward our basic instinct of survival. The pieces of paper that are lifted away by the breeze is not only symbolic of the ease with which life can be taken but is also symbolic of vast civilizations that were doomed to eventual failure for believing in and acting on tradition and not living according to the word of God. We see that even as Tessie is being stoned to death does she not question the reasoning behind the lottery, but why it should be her that has to die. The story also has some symbolic relevance to when it was written in 1948. This was a time where a lot of countries were rebuilding there nations due to the destruction they undertook in World War II. These nations were restructuring how they handled world problems, and how they ran there own countries. There was a lot of change after the war; people were not the same because so many had been affected by it. I think that this story tries to capture some of that. One example in the book was, There had been , also, a ritual salute, which the official of the lottery had had to use in addressing each person who came up to draw from the box, but this also had changed with time, until now it was felt necessary only for the official to speak to each person approaching. I feel that this shows that she interpreted the story to what was going on in the world around her, and how the world was changing so much. Traditions that people used to feel very strong about were starting to be broken down by the change in time, and world around them. .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 , .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 .postImageUrl , .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 , .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3:hover , .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3:visited , .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3:active { border:0!important; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3:active , .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3 .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud36c439042756e898cb3105d8f91d8b3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Guilt, Duty, And Unrequited Love EssayAs much as The Lottery symbolizes tradition the driving force through out the story is sacrifice. The author of the, The Lottery used foreshadowing and an astounding plot to present a tale about a melancholy sacrifice. Sacrifice plays a large role in the acute community. It instills a form of obedience and loyalty towards the morbid tradition. Although tradition changes over time ; the villagers over all concept of sacrifice is never lost. Jackson the author of The Lottery uses sacrifice to build an extremely original plot. Jackson wrote the story as if it were a favorable lottery to through off the readers consistency and twist the plot. Through out the story the author leaves helpful hints to make the theme apparent. For example when Jackson wrote Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of rock and the other boys started to follow his example, and eventually made a great pile of stones in the corner of the square. This sign of foreshadowing shows what method of sacrifice is to be used within the short story. The town had no other choice than to mastermind the lottery. In The Lottery Old Man Warner said Listen to those young folk, nothings good enough for them. Next thing you know, theyll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live like that for a while. This quotes intent was to show how much harder it was for the community to strive while living in caves. Also while living in caves the public civilization at the time was in ruin. They had come up with the idea to use a theory brought upon by other communities around them. Their approach to the theory was to eliminate one individual annually ;so that their crops would come in. They chose this method of sacrifice in order to yield themselves from the responsibility and burden of murder. Even though the towns lottery has lost all traditional value the sacrificing has held steadfast. As it says in The Lottery although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remember to use the rocks. This quote means that even though their tradition has gone off course they will always hold to their beliefs about sacrifice. To summarize they held true to their beliefs because of apprehension. So tradition has subconsciously made the community unaware of their horrible actions. The citizens of the village are not afraid of change. They are afraid of what change will bring. The present community has never known a year without the lottery or depleted crops. They fear if they if they disband from the traditional sacrifice their crops will fail. Also their warm safe homes will fade away and the dampened caves that have become so fictional to them will appear to be realistic problems. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay Example For Students The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay â€Å"The Lottery† is a short story by Shirley Jackson that was published in 1948 and gave a good example of the definition of the term sociological theory. This theory is a set of ideas on how people behave and how institutions operate. The analysis of this short story and the of the work of Emile Durkheim shows the relationship of the two in the field of Sociology. There are many well defined intertwining theories that Durkheim gave to society that are also included in â€Å"The Lottery†. Solidarity is the theory that will be analyzed. One of the first theories that Durkheim used relates to â€Å"The Lottery† is typology of societies based on solidarity. He stated that the type and level of solidarity is determined by the organization of the society. The division of labor is included in the organization of societies. This definition of Durkheim’s theory is used in The Lottery. First, the lottery rules of participation reflect a rigid social hierarchy based upon an inequitable social division of labor. We will write a custom essay on The Lottery by Shirley Jackson specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Also, the villagers believe unconsciously that their commitment to a work ethic will grant them some magical immunity from the selection of the black box. This work ethic prevents them from understanding that the lottery’s actual function is not to encourage work bur to reinforce an inequitable social division of labor. This town is considered a mechanical society, in that of they all had a high degree of regulation and the thoughts and actions of individuals within the society. The town has a small society, consisting of only 300 people. Between the post office and the bank is where the lottery is held, which shows simple organization. Also the leader of the town was a coal miner, not too many high organizations. The traditions of the lottery show the shared values and beliefs. The lottery and its consequences show the simple, repressive laws and harsh punishment. However, â€Å"the conscience theory†, or shared mental facts of a group, is the basis of social bonds that is also related. This is related because the fact is the town all agreed on the lottery and its outcome. It is a tradition and a set way for the people in the lottery. The attitudes might change when their name is called, but the fact is that the lottery is a shared belief that their society has. In a mechanical society the punishments are harsh and swift, like on Mrs. Hutchinson. Also, the purpose of the punishment is revenge. The punishment on Mrs. Hutchinson was the stoning of her and her family. This was revenge by the society for not working the way up in the social ladder and making your name not enter the black box. Stoning is the method of punishment used by the society in the lottery. This is a fast and effective way if punishment. Toleration is not required in mechanical societies because of the agreement among members. The ideas of Emile Durkheim on solidarity and mechanical society show the relevance and relationship to the short story â€Å"The Lottery†. The society of the lottery is the exact fit to the definition of the mechanical theory of society. This type of society has been a part of the past and is rarely seen.

Writing An Essay On Personal Values And Goals

Writing An Essay On Personal Values And GoalsA sample essay on personal values and goals is a great way to get people to ask you for help in their own education. Unfortunately, most students lack the time to sit down and write an essay on personal issues. Therefore, this essay needs to be short, yet comprehensive. Students need to be able to demonstrate how they are applying the ideas presented in the essay, in their own life.When it comes to writing an essay on personal values and goals, it is very important to think about what you will want to communicate in the final product. The only way that you will be able to succeed in this area is if you try to make an essay that has several layers. You want to try to get people to see things from your viewpoint, and be able to understand your reasoning.Many teachers believe that you do not write an essay on personal values and goals, unless you have some sort of skill. A teacher might ask you to do some research about certain topics. You mi ght find that they have already made these decisions for you.You should be able to make an essay on personal values and goals, without the use of outside resources. If you have any questions about what your essay should contain, then you can check out a sample essay on personal values and goals. It can help you decide on the type of essay that you want to write.Of course, when you are starting out, it might take some time to finish an essay on personal values and goals. You do not want to give too much emphasis to one part of the essay. Always make sure that you start at the beginning, and move forward as you read through the essay.Writing essays is a common academic skill that you need to learn. You also need to make sure that you do not get frustrated. There are many opportunities for you to make mistakes, and you can always find other people to help you. As long as you have someone to bounce ideas off of, you should be able to learn how to write a good essay on personal values an d goals.If you find that you are struggling with anything in the essay, then you should make a list of your major goals for the semester. When you read through the essay, you should be able to see where you can improve on each part of the essay. When you know what your goals are, you will be able to write a more effective essay on personal values and goals.When you want to write an essay on personal values and goals, you will need to know what the goals are. This will help you figure out the level of difficulty that you will face. All you need to do is remember that you need to make sure that you are striving for success, and that you will need to utilize all the skills that you have learned in order to do so.