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Shirley Jackson’s “the lottery” is a powerful example of which point of view
Shirley Jackson’s “the lottery” is a powerful example of which point of view
Shirley Jackson’s “the lottery” is a powerful example of which point of view
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American classic authors have always had a significant impact on literature throughout the world. Many of these authors in all different genres have left a lasting impression on literature today. A novel like The Haunting of Hill House and a story like “The Lottery” has raised the standard in literature, particularly in the gothic horror fiction genre. Shirley Jackson has influenced American Literature through her creation of American gothic fiction and her ability to not only portray the truth of society through her work but to also shape the idea of how readers view abnormality in humankind. Shirley Jackson was born on December 14, 1916 in San Francisco, California. Her father was Leslie Hardie Jackson and mother was Geraldine Maxwell Bugbee. …show more content…
Unlike her short story “The Lottery”, this novel did not produce controversy nor a huge shock to readers. Alternatively, readers fell in love with her development of the characters. The characters carried the abnormal psychological theme throughout the entire story and made it clear that the trouble in their minds was far more important than the trouble in the haunted house (“Shirley Hardie”). Readers and critics also positively responded to the fact that Jackson did not incorporate much upfront violence or cruelty. Instead she left much of the scaring up to the imagination of the reader (St. James). Because the scaring was left to to the imagination, there were no limits. Therefore, there was much ambiguity to her novel; she did not explicitly scare her readers, they had to decide what was actually happening versus what the characters thought was happening. The uncertainty readers have is an aspect to her writing no other author can say they have accomplished (Barnett). It sets her apart from other authors in the gothic horror genre. With this novel, she surpassed anything conventional (Authors). Even the highly praised Stephen King, author of many horror and supernatural novels, had nothing but praise for The Haunting of Hill House. He describes it as “one of the most important horror novels of all time” (Contemporary). Jackson’s hard work in this novel was successfully shown as she takes the readers on a journey with the characters and the house, ultimately resulting in something much more grotesque than what it seems to be on the
Gothic texts are typically characterized by a horrifying and haunting mood, in a world of isolation and despair. Most stories also include some type of supernatural events and/or superstitious aspects. Specifically, vampires, villains, heroes and heroines, and mysterious architecture are standard in a gothic text. Depending upon the author, a gothic text can also take on violent and grotesque attributes. As an overall outlook, “gothic literature is an outlet for the ancient fears of humanity in an age of reason” (Sacred-Texts). Following closely to this type of literature, Edgar Allan Poe uses a gloomy setting, isolation, and supernatural occurrences throughout “The Fall of the House of Usher”.
Comparing "The Lottery by Shirley Jackson" and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin
One main theme in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is tradition nonetheless. Although tradition is most commonly thought to be somewhat of a social glue that holds families and communities together, Shirley Jackson reveals a whole new side consisting of the dangers following traditional practices. The lottery is normalized as being an early summer ritual that proves to be consistent and promising in a plentiful harvest, as mentioned by Old Man Warner. The real purpose of the lottery is never fully explained, but it is still conducted every year without suggestion of discontinuation. There proves to be a pattern of tendency to be trapped by tradition.
In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” the theme of the story is dramatically illustrated by Jackson’s unique tone. Once a year the villagers gather together in the central square for the lottery. The villagers await the arrival of Mr. Summers and the black box. Within the black box are folded slips of paper, one piece having a black dot on it. All the villagers then draw a piece of paper out of the box. Whoever gets the paper with the black dot wins. Tessie Hutchinson wins the lottery! Everyone then closes in on her and stones her to death. Tessie Hutchinson believes it is not fair because she was picked. The villagers do not know why the lottery continues to exist. All they know is that it is a tradition they are not willing to abandon. In “The Lottery,” Jackson portrays three main themes including tradition, treason, and violence.
Written in 1818, the latter stages of the Gothic literature movement, at face value this novel embodies all the key characteristics of the Gothic genre. It features the supernatural, ghosts and an atmosphere of horror and mystery. However a closer reading of the novel presents a multifaceted tale that explores
People of 2016, they argue and disagree with society, believing it is unorganized and is in need for improvement. Despite the current day issue, after reading “Harrison Bergeron” and “The Lottery” a reader will notice a change from society. Characters from “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson were important in forwarding the plot, expressing the author’s intent and betraying an imperfect society. Harrison Bergeron and Mr. Summers are some examples of characters emitting an influential personality into the stories.“A story Is built on character,” (Steven Amsterdam). Every story produces different personalities, and
An author’s contributions to the world of literature are many times welcomed as a brilliant piece of work or a genius accomplishment. However, during the life of Shirley Jackson, her stories were many times received poorly due to their dark nature or their pedestrian humor. Even her most famous work, “The Lottery”, was met with outrage and criticism by Americans and literary critics. During her time, horror and humor were seen as minor writings that no one took much notice of. In Janet M. Ball’s analysis of Shirley Jackson, she states that, “Because Jackson chose to handle unusual topics, such as psychosis and ghostly apparitions, some literary critics relegated her to minor status.” (1). Even though she was disregarded during her own time,
Many authors have a particular style that is threaded through all of their work. This is the case with the short stories “The Lottery” and “The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson. The stories themselves are very different, but there are many common threads between the two. The two stories share a theme, action for the greater good. Both stories have events that the person or people committing the action believe must happen. These actions may harm others, but it is for the betterment of the world in their opinion. Jackson uses similar settings, well thought out symbolism, and sudden plot twists in both stories to support the theme of action for the greater good.
Shirley Jackson's “The Lottery” is a short story about the annual gathering of the villagers to conduct an ancient ritual. The ritual ends in the stoning of one of the residents of this small village. This murder functions under the guise of a sacrament that, at one time, served the purpose of ensuring a bountiful harvest. This original meaning, however, is lost over the years and generations of villagers. The loss of meaning has changed the nature and overall purpose of the lottery. This ritual is no longer a humble sacrifice that serves the purpose of securing the harvest but instead is a ceremony of violence and murder only existing for the pleasure found in this violence.
Shirley Jackson is an American author of novels and short stories. She has received many honors for the best American short stories and fictional novels. She was born in San Francisco during 1940 and attended college in New York. She met her husband during college and they resided in a small New England town. Jackson was not only bi-coastal but she also experienced small town life. This allowed her to compare, contrast, and examine the current state of American life. Most of her work is macabre and odd, it features common settings and characters. Her pairing of ordinary characters and odd themes led to the success of her short story "The Lottery."
Why would a civilized and peaceful town would ever suggest the horrifying acts of violence can take place anywhere at anytime and the most ordinary people can commit them. Jackson's fiction is noted for exploring incongruities in everyday life, and “The Lottery”, perhaps her most exemplary work in this respect, examines humanity's capacity for evil within a contemporary, familiar, American setting. Noting that the story’s characters, physical environment, and even its climactic action lacks significant individuating detail, most critics view “The Lottery.” As a modern-day parable or fable, which obliquely addresses a variety of themes, including the dark side of human nature, the danger of ritualized behavior, and the potential for cruelty when the individual submits to the mass will. Shirley Jackson also addresses cruelty by the citizen’s refusal to stand up and oppose “The Lottery.” Violence and cruelty is a major theme in “The Lottery.”
“The less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it” (Twain). The Lottery begins during the summer. A small, seemingly normal, town is gathering to throw the annual “Lottery”. In the end, the townspeople—children included—gather around and stone the winner to death, simply because it was tradition. The story reveals how traditions can become outdated and ineffective. “I suppose, I hoped, by setting a particularly brutal ancient rite in the present and in my own village to shock the story's readers with a graphic dramatization of the pointless violence and general inhumanity in their own lives” (Jackson). As humans develop as a race, their practices should develop with them. Shirley Jackson develops the theme that blindly following traditions is dangerous in her short story “The Lottery” through the use of symbolism, foreshadowing, and irony.
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson has been criticized, but its longevity and durability prove it stands the test of time. In the article, “Jackson’s The Lottery,” the author A.R. Coulthard finds a deeper meaning in the story which other critics have not. Coulthard believes the story is a “parable of the evil inherent in human nature” rather than “an assault on mindless cultural conformity,” as other critics have suggested (Coulthard 226). Coulthard shows how something that most likely began as a primitive and ignorant way to ensure prosperity, evolved into a complete need for sanctioned violence and murder. Coulthard offers valid points to support her argument.
Winning vast amounts of money can make anyone slaphappy, but unfortunately this type of wager won’t be discussed in Shirley Jacksons “The Lottery.” Jackson catches the reader’s attention by describing a typical day by using words such as “blossoming, clear and sunny skies” to attract the reader into believing a calm and hopeful setting which eventually turns dark. In this short story Jackson tells a tale of a sinister and malevolent town in America that conforms to the treacherous acts of murder in order to keep their annual harvest tradition alive. Jackson exposes the monstrosity of people within this society in this chilling tale. She allows the reader’s to ponder and lead them to believe that the lottery is actually a good thing; till she implements foreshadowing, to hint at the dreadfulness behind the lottery and its meaning. My goal in this paper is to discuss why Jackson’s “The Lottery” is a portrayed as a horror story, and the importance the townspeople used to glorify ritualistic killings, to appease to an unseeable force in return of good harvest for the upcoming year.
Gothic fiction can be summarized as a mixture of horror fiction and romance fiction. Horror fiction evokes intense fear, dread, or dismay inside the reader. Romantic fiction also influences gothic fiction by the use of specific characters, emotional connections, and love. The supernatural taking a pivotal role in horror fiction, and the character Pennywise creates an intense connection with the reader using appearance and the emotional reaction to childhood memories. Stephen King has pe...