Use Of Imagery In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

One can see by examining the imagery of a beautiful sunny day, and the symbolism of young and innocent children in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, that this story is not an archetypal horror story. Firstly, one can see that the imagery that is explained in the narrative, describes a sunny and peaceful afternoon, which is ironic because of the stories dark and tragic ending. The first sentence of the story describes the setting in which the lottery takes place, as a peaceful and uneventful morning, rather than a gloomy and secluded site, which is considered a cliché of a classical horror story. To give the story an ironic twist of imagery, Jackson wrote; “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were

blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (Jackson 1). This quote illustrates the imagery of a non-archetypal story by describing a springtime setting, in which the narrative takes place during the day.

This example of imagery does not fit the stereotype of a horror story, because happy events usually take place on sunny days, and spring is known to be a time of birth, not death, which is exactly what takes place at the end of this tale. The twist of imagery fits the pattern of a non-archetypal horror story, which usually takes place at night in an isolated and creepy setting, unlike this narrative in which there are numerous people present on a beautiful and sunny day. Secondly, one can also see that the presence of young children that can not stop playing, is a symbolism of innocence, happiness, and peace. Before the lottery begins, as people gather in the town square, the children seem to be enjoying each others company, and do not seem worried at all. An author of an archetypal horror story usually does not emphasize the presence of playing children at the crime scene, which is exactly what Shirley Jackson has done by writing, “They broke into boisterous play and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands” (Jackson

1). This quote illustrates symbolism of peace and innocence, by describing the young and happy children. Children tend to represent the trait of innocence, which is ironic because the children in the story will commit a murderous act at the end. This quote exposes the happiness of the children and their carefree attitude, as they talk about school and enjoy each other's company. The presence of the boisterous and happy children symbolizes peace, happiness and innocence, the exact opposite of what The Lottery brings, and these traits express the opposite tone of a classical horror story . By examining the imagery of a beautiful sunny day and the symbolism of the young and innocent children, one can see that The Lottery by Shirley Jackson does not follow the elements of an archetypal horror story.