The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson - Essay Example Through this short story, the author tries to explore incongruities that happen in people’s daily life thus examining humanity’s ability for wickedness and human kind weakness within a modern, well-known, American setting. In supporting this thesis by analyzing Jackson’s short story, this paper seeks to draw support by focusing on the use of symbolism, characterization, point of view, settings, and dialogue. The setting of the story is in a small village within which people have a close connection and the tradition has dominated. Through this setting, Jackson brings her point of view forth. Through the people’s habitual beliefs, the lottery is an annual event of stoning to death a victim of the winning ticket. This drawing has taken place for over 70 years and every member of the town has put it into practice. Using such a setting, it is evident that the author tries to bring forth how the people of this town are hypocrites and wicked. This town appears very mundane in which people know each other by names and people are very typical with ordinary names. In trying to use this setting, Jackson helps the reader understand that the extreme evils portrayed show how people are different from how they seem in spite of demonstrating a friendly atmosphere. Therefore, her point of view comes out clearly that, individuals need to understand each other even though they have lived together f or a while. Symbolism runs throughout the story, a literacy element that supports the thesis significantly. For instance, The Lottery is used as a symbolism of an event, deed, or a thought that is passed down across generations. Further, it turns to be an ordinary thing since it is unquestionably followed without minding their illogicality and how unethical it can be. In this village, the lottery has taken place for more that 70 years coming in June of every year (23).