Use Of Setting In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

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Setting in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” In Shirley Jackson’s ironic story “The Lottery” the author uses setting to expose a meaningful messages about society and human behaviour. The story appears to be happy and innocent until the cold blooded tradition of the lottery happens. The lottery is an annual tradition that kills a member of the community when chosen on a piece of paper. After the victim is chosen she is brutally attacked by stones, until death. Family and friends are participants of this stoning with no remorse. The setting is an important part of the story to show how the community can disguise itself while participating in this act. The theme of this story is society can reflect itself as something good and turn into something evil. The author uses three important parts to acknowledge this social setting, temporal setting, and physical setting. …show more content…

The community looks amazing almost too amazing representing the Garden of Eden where everything is place in perfection. Just like the Garden sin is among humans and they have lost their true meanings. Children are out of school and being to help their friends and family gather stones. The community acts normal but ironically there is a tragic event their preparing for. “Body Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones” (138). Everyone is willingly taking action to take a life yet their human behaviour has no emotion to this act, family and friends talk to each other with love and kindness but when the name is chosen human savagery comes upon them.” Bill Hutchison held it up and there was a stir in the crowd (141). There is no compassion

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