Symbolism And Allegory In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson short story “the Lottery” is a striking subtle tale about a small village that practices a perverse ritual passed down from generation to generation that was rooted in belief that it might grant the village a successful harvest. With small hints of irony and surprise, Shirley Jackson brings about an awareness that gives brief glimpse at what happens when a small village carries on such an ancient tradition that becomes warped overtime. When taking a closer look at the story fine details, Jackson’s boasts with fine examples of symbolism and allegory in relation to tradition and blind violence.

First published in the June 26, 1948 issue of The New Yorker, “The Lottery” caused major controversy due to Jackson’s implicit critique

Summers. The children are described stacking and piling up stones while people assemble around the town square. People chatter and gossip while preparation for the lottery is happening. Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson arrives late and chats briefly with her friend, Mrs. Delacroix apologizing say “I almost forgot what day it was”. Mr. Summers calls each head of the household forward to a black wooden box, where each selects a slip of paper. Once the men have chosen, Mr. Summers allows everyone to open the paper and see who has been selected. When it is discovered that her husband Mr. Bill Hutchinson has been selected, Tessie immediately starts protesting. Mr. Summers places five slips of paper into the box, representing each member of the family and making the family draw out the black box. Mrs. Hutchinson draws a slip of paper with a big black dot in the center. The villagers advance on her grabbing a stone from pile the children made earlier in the story. The dark truth behind the lottery is revealed, Tessie protests “It’s just not fair” as the villagers stone her to death

With the title of “The Lottery”, the reader would reference the term lottery with a positive connotation; the twist at the end of the story upsets the reader’s expectations. Annual traditions like Easter, Christmas, or even 4th of July involve event such as egg hunts, tree and light decoration, and fireworks show. Most communities are comfortable these yearly rituals without knowing the origins of these practices which leads to the point of how tradition obscures the history of public ritual. The three ironic names of the character are Mr. Summer, Mr. Graves, and Old Man Warner. Mr. Summers having the positive attitude associated with season, Mr. Graves in his last name and role in authorizing Mr. Summer in conducting the ritual that reward the “winner” to their graves. Lastly, Old Man Warner being a witness to an event that’s older the man himself (Brooks).

The reader would associate lotteries with awesome prizes, it’s almost expected that these annual celebrations also seem pleasant. The lottery appears harmless at first, but with the bizarre behavior of children piling stones and Old Man Warner words concerning the civic event and the importance of