What Does The Black Box Symbolize In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

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Reign Chiro Mariano Mr. Shields ENG 2 D 2 April 2024 The Black Box and The Lottery In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the black box symbolizes the lottery, which represents how traditions can outlast their original purpose and harm a community. As the box is brought out, its age is apparent, and this is something all the villagers recognize. It is common knowledge amongst the townsfolk that “The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago, and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born.” The lottery is so old that much of the tradition and purpose behind it has been lost. The villagers only carry on the brutal tradition because they have …show more content…

Because the tradition is so old, the black box has also deteriorated. Another thing the townsfolk recognize is that “The black box grew shabbier each year; by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained.” Each year the lottery is performed, the box further deviates from its original form and grows more decrepit. In that sense, the box follows the lottery itself as the lottery has lost its purpose and is now simply unwarranted killing of the villagers. Despite that, the villagers adamantly refuse to move on from the box. Even as attempts to replace the box have been made by town officials, they never come to fruition, “Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box.” The same way the villagers have no intention to make a new box, they have no intention to give up the lottery. Even as other villages have given up the lottery with no problems, the village of the story puts their unfounded faith in it. In this community, the black box and the lottery are intrinsically connected for the people of the village, and even as

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