Theme Of Symbolism In The Short Story The Lottery

The Use of Symbols between John Updike’s Short Story “A&P” and Shirley Jackson “The Lottery”

In the following short stories by; John Updike’s “A&P” and Shirley Jackson “The Lottery” both authors use symbolism in their stories to foreshadow parts that have a lot of deeper meaning. Each author has their own unique way of using symbols throughout their stories. Authors use symbolism to represent something in a different meaning, they will use material objects a lot to draw conclusions within the story. Author John Updike uses seduction, Herring snacks and bathing suits as a form of symbolism in his story “A&P”. As well Author Shirley Jackson uses material objects in her story such as the black lottery box, and stones that the kids gathered earlier in the story. Once symbolism is created within the story, it can provide meaning to the story in a different way, it could also affect the theme of the story and the characters.

Using symbolism the author is using a word or a group of word takes on a different meaning, then what is actually being said. Using symbolism the author wants to uses a figure of speech to create a type of mood, or emotion that the author wants to create and instill in the writing. Symbolism will help foreshadow parts that will come later in the story. A great example of a symbol being foreshadow was in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”. “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones” (Jackson 251). As the story “The Lottery” progressed Bobby and the other boys would use those stones that they gathered to predicate in the lottery, and stoned Mrs. Hutchinson (Tessie) to death. But not all symbol’s used in writing will foreshadow events to come within the story or