The Horror of The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson - 1375 Words

Once upon a time there was a little village. In this village three hundred people happily farmed and played and went about their business. The children went to school while the men cut wood or farmed, and the women cooked and cleaned. Every summer in June each of villagers took part in the traditional lottery drawing and one villager was picked for the prize – a stoning. In 1948, Shirley Jackson published this short story known as â€Å"The Lottery,† in The New York Times. The story’s plot shocked readers all over America as they learned of the horror happening in such a quaint town. Jackson purposely set this tragic event in this innocent setting to emphasize humanity’s cruelty. Using her appalling short story, The Lottery,†¦show more content†¦Just as the story begins to feel set in time, we realize that Jackson conveniently omits the year from the story’s setting, furthering her idea that this could occur at any time. The irony of June 2 7th comes with a closer look at the month – June – a month when midsummer occurs, associating this time with delight and gaiety (Griffin, Amy A. 43). June 27th provides detail for the story with the intention of creating a real time for this story to occur, in any reader’s life. Like it’s time, this story’s realistic yet vague location provides insight into Jackson’s evaluation of society’s inhumanity. The setting continues to expose the idea that we do not know where this horrible event occurs; it could be in the next country or even the next town. But Jackson purposefully shows that this barbaric cruelty could be anywhere, and critic Jay A. Yarmove agrees: â€Å"At no point does the author tell us where the lottery takes place, but we are made aware of several possible indicators† (41). Jackson hints at a quaint town as she describes the village â€Å"where there were only three hundred people† who came together and â €Å"greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip† (1). These details create the possibility that this town exists and the lottery really occurs somewhere. As Cleanth Brooks states it, â€Å"the village is made to exist for us† (76). Shirley Jackson makes a concerted effort through these details to make the villageShow MoreRelatedHorror And Horror Of The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson2006 Words   |  9 PagesFiction Essay 29 April 2015 Exploring Horror The element of horror in a story brings out emotions that individuals like to keep pushed back. Things like fear, panic, distress, and anxiety are all things that people do not intentionally enjoy feeling. Horror is a major element in some fiction and is shown in stories such as, â€Å"The Lottery†, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find†, â€Å"A Cask of Amontillado†, and â€Å"The Things They Carried†. They all carry some element of horror that turns on the senses and emotionsRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson910 Words   |  4 PagesLiterary Analysis of the Short Story â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson Shirley Jackson explores the subject of tradition in her short story â€Å"The Lottery†. A short story is normally evaluated based on its ability to provide a satisfying and complete presentation of its characters and themes. Shirley describes a small village that engages in an annual tradition known as â€Å"the lottery†. Narrating the story from a third person point of view, Shirley uses symbolism, foreshadowing and suspense to illustrateRead More Shirley Jacksons The Lottery 946 Words   |  4 PagesShirley Jackson is said to be one of the most â€Å"brilliant and influential authors of the twentieth century.† â€Å"Her fiction writing is some of the most important to come out of the American literary canon.† (http://shirleyjackson.org/Reviews.html) Jackson wrote many short stories and even some books. They are more on the dark, witchlike side, however. Kelleher explains that Jackson stated in some interviews that she practiced magic. No one really k nows if she was serious while practicing witchcraftRead Morehe Lottery by Shirley Jackson710 Words   |  3 PagesHitting the Lottery In the beginning of Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery,† June 27th is as normal as any other summer day in the small village. The morning was described as â€Å"clear and sunny† with â€Å"flowers blossoming profusely and the grass richly green† (Jackson, 1). The attitudes of the children are rather happy and normal as they begin to gather playing â€Å"boisterous[ly]† (Jackson, 1). By the end of the story, the beautiful, normal summer day as described in the beginning is a day that every memberRead MoreInstitutionalized Ritual in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson1625 Words   |  6 PagesShirley Jackson’s The Lottery, is a terrifying, tension filled masterpiece of an ancient human practice set present day America, 1948. Jackson’s dark, short story is about a rural farming village on the east coast, who, like other villages around them, conduct a yearly â€Å"lottery.† It begins in the town square in the month of June, where th e schoolchildren are gathering stones while awaiting the arrival of their respective families. When the lottery is formally started, roll call is initiated followedRead MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson2116 Words   |  9 PagesShirley Jackson was a master of modern gothic fiction and wrote of the essentially evil nature of human beings. The major focus of her work is to emphasize the psychological dimension of experience and the absolute isolation of a human. Shirley Jackson also believes and suggests that humanity must continue to try to define its own reality, and strive to survive with nobility. Her most famous piece of work â€Å"The Lottery,† depicts the cruelty and brutality of humanity in the mass and insensitivity ofRead MoreCreating horror in the Lottery979 Words   |  4 PagesCreating Horror Authors use a number of different tones, settings, themes, characterizations, and points of view in order to create a fictional world inside the readers head. We see these tools used in contrasting ways in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allan Poe and â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson. The distinctive techniques used in these short stories leave you feeling uneasy once you finish them. Using different methods, both authors create a story of horror for their readers. The tonesRead MoreThe Lottery : Dissecting Sociological Horrors Essay1551 Words   |  7 Pages The Lottery: Dissecting Sociological Horrors When you hear the word â€Å"lottery†, what do you think? In Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, readers are presented with an ironic, dramatic, bleak tale about a small village gathering for not exactly what one would call a lottery. Born in San Francisco, California in 1916, Jackson spent much of her early life writing poetry and journal entries. After enrolling in the University of Rochester, she eventually withdrew to pursue her dreams of becoming a writerRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson873 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† â€Å"The Lottery† was written in 1948 by Shirley Jackson. Mrs. Jackson, born in 1916, was known for her tales of horror and supernatural novels. She and her literary critic husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman lived in a little town called Bennington, Vermont. Mrs. Jackson was not accepted by the town. Her novels, especially â€Å"The Lottery†, revealed the dark side of human nature. Stephen King honored Shirley Jackson by dedicating his book Firestarter to her. â€Å"The Lottery† takes place on JuneRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson868 Words   |  4 PagesThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson uses extensive symbols and metaphors. It is a short story which has been equally appreciated as well as rejected by audience. The main themes of this story are those of tradition and scapegoat. The story begins with the author informing the reader about the time the lottery is going to begin by using certain phrases like â€Å"tractors and taxes† (Jackson, 76). Furthermore, the writer narrates the dress of Mr. Summers to be a â€Å"clean white shirt and blue jeans† (Jackson 78)