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“The lottery” is a short story that tells about the tradition in a village. Every year the people that live in the village all gather around to find out who will win the annual lottery. The winner of this lottery is forced to get stoned to death. The reason behind this tradition is the belief that stoning a citizen will bring heartier crops. This tradition is expected to happen for many years to come. In “The Lottery”, Shirley Jackson introduces the basics of human nature. In this short story, there are many characters who show two sides of human nature
One of the first characters who shows two sides of human nature is Tessie Hutchinson.
In the beginning of the story, Tessie Hutchison shows up late to the lottery. When she arrives, the other citizens mentioned how they would have started without her. If they were to start without her than she would have not be in the lottery. It is obvious that she was interested in being a part of it since she still took part in it after being late. She seemed ready for the lottery until she got picked. Once she won the lottery, she was begging for everyone to not to participate in it.
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Another character that shows two sides of human nature is Bobby Martian.
Bobby Martian is a kid who shows a good and vicious side. In the beginning of the short story, he fills his pockets up with rocks. This shows that he is trying to show that he is looking forward to the lottery. Although he is filling up his pockets with rocks, he is picking the smoothest
and roundest rocks. These are the kind of rocks that would hurt less meaning he had some sympathy and did not want to hurt the winner to
bad. A third example of characters showing two sides of human nature is Mrs. Hutchinson’s three sons. At first the kids are very loving towards their mother. Once they have found out that were not the winners, they let a huge sigh of relief. It had seemed like they had no concern about who was to get picked. Once their mother won the lottery, they were not hesitant at all to throw stones at her. They went from caring about their mother to killing her. Tessie Hutchinson, Bobby Martian, and Mrs. Hutchinson’s three kids are three of many examples of two side of human nature in “The Lottery”. In this short story, Shirley Jackson proves that people are very self-serving and can show two different sides. Each of the examples I listed at first showed a good side of them and later on showed an evil side. The Lottery is much more than just a tradition. It is ignorance and cruelness.
She stood out from the other villagers. She was a free spirit who was able to forget about the lottery entirely. Tessie is the only villager who protested against the lottery. 10. Yes, The story needed to be read a second time.
Jackson states, “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys (564).” This seems like innocent play until the stones’ true purpose becomes unveiled at the end of the story. Jackson creates suspense through the children and the rock piling.
The townspeople seem to have mixed emotions about the lottery; they fear it yet on a very barbaric level they enjoy it. By standing "away from the pile of stones," and keeping their distance from the black box, the villagers show their fear of the lottery (Jackson 863). However, once they find out who is going to be stoned, Tessie Hutchinson, they seem to actually enjoy the stoning. One villager picks up a stone so big she can barely carry it; someone even gives Tessie’s youngest son a few pebbles to throw at his mother. Their overall attitude about the stoning is summed up by the phrase "and then they were...
This simultaneously relieves some of the suspense regarding the result of the lottery, while also adding even more tension, as the audience still does not know Tessie Hutchinson’s fate.
Hutchinson. Death by stones isn’t the way most people would like to die, but in this story Mrs. Hutchinson didn’t get to much of a choice. The Lottery is exactly what it sounds like. A random drawing from a box, with one big winner. Although being a winner isn’t a great thing this time around. I’m sure you can picture all of the arguing and excuses everyone has when they draw the “winning” slip, because I don’t think people like giving up their life for their small village’s superstitions. ‘Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. "It isn't fair," she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head.’ (lines 322-324) Mrs. Hutchinson says “it isn’t fair”, because she’s the one dying, but if it wasn’t her I bet she would say it’s fair. She couldn’t accept her fate. ‘Old Man Warner snorted. "Pack of crazy fools," he said. "Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live that way for a while. Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery," he added petulantly. "Bad enough to see young Joe Summers up there joking with everybody." "Some places have already quit lotteries," Mrs. Adams said "Nothing but trouble in
The stones played of one the largest parts in foreshadowing and symbolism. The reader can overlook the significance of the stones because in the beginning they did not seem out of the ordinary. Children were playing and collecting stones prior to the lottery, but the reader has no idea that the stones are going to be used to kill Tessie Hutchinson. Jackson started foreshadowing with a subtle hint, “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets with stones, and the other boys soon followed in his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones” (Jackson). Jackson explained that the children were picking up smooth stones, not jagged, spiky rocks, which could kill a person faster. Although picking up smooth rocks may seemed like a trivial detail, Jackson was actually foreshadowing the ending. Jackson showed the regularity of the stoning, “... eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys” (Jackson). The boys treated as if it was a game; the boys felt the need to gua...
Tessie Hutchinson was angry that her husband had gotten the lottery, so the family drew again. In the final draw, the crowd saw that Tessie had gotten the paper with the black dot. The instant the crowd knew who got the lottery, they began grabbing the stones the boys had piled up earlier. Formerly, Mr. Summers joined the crowd and said “let’s finish quickly” to be in time for noon dinner(Jackson, 7). At this instant, Mrs. Delacroix had “selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands” for the ritual(Jackson, 7). This sentence shows how terrible the lottery is and how extreme it can get. Without delay, Tessie is standing in the middle of the crowd when “a stone hit her on the side of the head” and that was the signal to begin the ritual(Jackson, 7). The lottery is just a cruel thing to the victim and their family who have to watch and be a part
Change seems to be closer than expected. Many of the other villages changed their traditions and got rid of the lottery. This sparks some controversy in the society. Some villagers strongly believed that it was time for the lottery to end. Others did not want to part with their cultural traditions, some even believing that the lottery brought good harvest. Unfortunately for Tessie Hutchinson, the traditions do not change in time to spare her life. The author’s description of the symbols in the short story help to reveal the layers of the society in which the lottery exists. Throughout the short story, The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, the author’s depiction of the black box, Davy Hutchinson, the main character’s son, and the lottery itself help to convey the idea that fear of change can impede evolution in a
In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson uses the symbolism of a stone to show the cruelty of the human nature. Jackson introduces the story with a warm and pleasant setting suggesting that the lottery is just a typical day. The story, then, quickly changes direction when the children gather and make “a great pile of stones in
To follow through I will discuss the importance Jackson placed on the protagonist Tessie Hutchinson. She was seen as someone who is consumed by hypocrisy and weakness. Mrs. Hutchinson is aware that the lottery is wrong but does nothing to eradicate it or stand on her own. To her demise the lottery’s lesson is that the more artificial you are, the more of a target you become. Sadly the lottery became the death of Mrs. Hutchinson, when she was chosen as the winner of the annual event.
Stones in particular are mentioned over and over again throughout this story. The stones are first introduced to the readers in the beginning of the story when Jackson states, “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones” (259). Stones use to be the most archaic from of execution, dating back to historic traditions. Since this story is revolved around a gruesome tradition of sacrifice; it is fitting to use stones as a symbol of the tradition. Archetypal symbolism is represented through the color of the box used to draw names out of. When the box is first brought out and described as a, “black wooden box” (259), it is made clear that anything to do with the box would have to do with death. Not only does the box serve as archetypal symbolism for death based of its color, but it also symbolizes the idea of not wanting to stray away from tradition. When Shirley Jackson states that Mr. Summers had spoken of making a new box she adds in the line: “but no one wanted to upset even as much tradition as was presented by the black box” (259). All these symbols relate to the village people being stuck in their old ways of
The first thing that catches the eye while reading this is when the little boys start stuffing their pockets with stones when they arrive there. “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones” (264). This is a great example of the mere blindness in following ridiculous traditions. The young boys who started getting stones ready as soon as they got there could not have fully understood the tradition. They could have not understood the complete purpose of the stones. They have seen the adults pick stones in years before and have followed in their footsteps without question as if it were some sort of game.
Shirley Jackson describes the characters in “The Lottery” in a way that readers can relate to each of them in some way, yet she makes one character stand out from the start of the story. Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson arrives late, having “clean forgot what day it was” (411). While the town does not make a fuss over Tessie’s tardiness, several people make remarks, “in voices loud enough to be heard across the crowd” (411). Jackson makes the choice to have Tessie stand out from the crowd initially. This choice first shows Tessie’s motivation. Tessie was so
First, the core of the story of "The Lottery" is in its symbols. This can represent a number of different ideas, but the most basic is that of tradition and specifically unquestioned traditions. Traditions like this exist as much in humans’ society as a belief or custom or the way of doing something for a long time, and "The Lottery" shows that. This ceremony celebrates every year in the summer. Second, stones represent violence. “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones" (279). The stone symbol has been foreshadowed by the ominous ending of the story. Everyone gathers stones, and there is “a great pile of stones in one corner of the square” (279). The method of execution is also clearly symbolic. Stoning is one of the few methods of execution that is done by a community, and not an individual. Next, the lottery box or black box is the most symbolic item because it is the one of only connections to the root of the lottery. The lottery box becomes shabbier each year; “by now it was no longer... the original wood color.” The box needs to renew or change for more suitable with a long existence. However, nobody in the village does not want to do it. One question is suggested that why people still want to follow a bizarre sacrifice while they do not want to. Perhaps, people do not want to “go back
The reason they picked up smooth stones, because it would be a slow death with the flat surface and rounded edges. Unlike the weathered rough and sharp rocks, it would be a fast death. Jackson indicates that the children find this uncharacteristic activity normal in this murderous event, and that the children easily follow the elders. These next two objects used in this story, are both religious. The black box is used to draw pieces of paper for the lottery, which is it rested above a three-legged stool.” The postmaster, Mr. Graves, followed him, carrying a three- legged stool, and the stool was put in the center of the square and