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Use of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Use of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Symbolism in shirley jackson's the lottery
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Roger Ebert once said, "Parents and schools should place great emphasis on the idea that it is all right to be different." In other words, Roger Ebert meant that sometimes straying away from what society considers to be ideal can indeed be very beneficial and positive to men and women. Ideas that are similar to this can be seen among many different works of literature. Specifically, in The Pearl, “The Lottery”, and “Desiree’s Baby”. All of these works of literature express this idea through different literary devices. In The Pearl, John Steinbeck used situational irony to paint a picture of society. In addition, Shirley Jackson conveyed an idea similar to this in “The Lottery” through plot. And finally, Kate Chopin, the author of “Desiree’s …show more content…
Baby” used symbolism to express this message. Even though society may set us up to believe that something is ideal, obsession with that perfection, can lead to destruction and loss. Firstly, in The Pearl, Steinbeck uses situational irony to show how ideals that are prompted by society and society's beliefs can lead to loss and death, because of greed. Steinbeck shows through situational irony, how society’s image of wealth, status, and power, can lead to death and loss of status. An example of this is, the irony of how the doctor refuses to treat Coyotito, at the beginning of the novel, because they have no money, but ultimately, offers them his services free of charge when Kino and Juana has the pearl in their possession. After the doctor refuses the family the first time, Kino “struck the gate [with] a crushing blow with his fist. He looked down in wonder…at the blood that flowed between his fingers” (17). In this case, the doctor’s ideal was to be rich and to be of high status, but by believing and acting upon that notion, he lost the respect and love of his neighbors and peers. Another example of situational irony, is how the pearl that Kino finds to save Coyotito’s life, ends up resulting in his ultimate death. When Kino and Juana come home in the finale of The Pearl, Kino looks into to the pearl to see the ultimate fate in which it caused he sees “Coyotito lying in the little cave with the top of his head shot away” (94). When Kino has possession of the pearl, he is greedy and selfish because society promotes the idea that being wealthy is ideal, and having the pearl will help him become so. Kino became so wrapped up in this picture that society has made, that he ends up losing sight of his family, and it results in the ultimate death of his only child. In conclusion, with the aid of situational irony, Steinbeck portrays how narrow-minded visions of society’s idea of wealth and status, can man to lose sight of what is truly important, which can lead to loss of love, and the loss of loved ones. Additionally, in “The Lottery”, Jackson uses plot to show how society can created ideals that lead to destruction and the loss of loved ones. The plot of this short story, shows us that if man blindly follows what society tells us is the perfect option, he can lose loved and cherished people, and values that are important. An example of this comes from when the Watson boy has to draw for his mom to keep his town’s tradition alive. In response to this, the Watson family hears people mumbling “Glad to see you mother’s got a man to do it” (5). In this example, society is telling the Watson boy that drawing for his mother keeps traditions alive. However, as a result, Mrs. Watson loses her individuality. Furthermore, another example of plot in “The Lottery”, is when society and the town makes Mrs. Hutchison get stoned to death, just so tradition stays alive. After Mrs. Hutchison draws the piece of paper with the black dot on it she says, “"It isn't fair, it isn't right,"… and then they were upon her” (11). In this case, the town and society prompts man to follow tradition, but it results in the eventual loss of Mrs. Hutchison’s life. In conclusion, Jackson uses plot to show how society-created tradition can lead to the loss of things that man truly loves and needs. Finally, in “Desiree’s Baby”, Chopin uses symbolism to show how following society’s ideal can lead you to loss.
Chopin shows, through symbolism, how racism created by society can break up a family. For instance, the bonfire Armand builds to burn everything that reminds him of the baby symbolizes anger and the loss of love. When Desiree comes out to find that “in the centre of the smoothly swept back yard was a great bonfire… [filled with] silk gowns, and velvet and satin ones”, she sees that Armand racism has taken over thoughts, and that anger is the only thing on his mind (4). The bonfire symbolizes anger because it is raging with the passion of Armand’s anger toward his situation, and the bonfire is created by fear, just as anger is. This bonfire not only symbolizes anger, but it can represent how society’s thoughts of differing race in a family forces Armand lose his baby and other loved ones. In other words, by giving into society’s racism, Armand loses the most important thing: love. Another example of the use of symbolism in “Desiree’s Baby”, is the letter written about Armand’s mother and her race. When Armand creates his bonfire, the last thing that he threw in is a letter from his mother to his father that reads: “our dear Armand will never know that his mother…belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery” (4). Similar to his baby, Armand’s mother is African-American, and Armand and society has done their best to make sure both of their identities are shunned and secretive. This letter symbolizes the lengths that people will go to keep what society considers unideal a secret. Since Armand’s mother thinks it is so important to have Armand as an accepted member of society, their relationship loses its honesty and sincerity. In conclusion, Chopin uses symbolism to show how sticking to society’s ideals huts loved ones and destroy the integrity of
relationships. All in all, differing societies all create their own version of what they considered to be ideal, and even though it can seem beneficial, it can lead to damage of loved ones, morals, and relationships. Many different authors can use a variety of literary devices to present ideas similar to this. For example, Steinbeck, the author of The Pearl, used situational irony to show how man can succumb to society’s image of wealth and status, and in turn lose the people they love. Moreover, Jackson, the author of “The Lottery”, used demonstrated through plot how blindly following society’s tradition, whether it seems correct or not, can lead to the destruction of loved ones, and valued morals. Finally, in “Desiree’s Baby”, Chopin used symbolism to paint a picture of the result of acting upon society’s ideals. These authors show how in order to break away from society’s preaching you must be strong and “weakness is what brings ignorance, cheapness, racism, homophobia, desperation, cruelty [and], brutality” as Henry Rollins once said.
for summer break, letting the reader infer that the time of year is early summer.
This story is entertaining , but yet powerful at the same time. It has many themes that the audience can identify with. Some themes include love, sexual, society standards, and isolation. These themes make the book have several feelings and several interpretations. Not only themes makes the book more intense but also the use of Figurative language. Kate Chopin uses imagery, personification, metaphors, similes, syntax, and mostly symbolism. Symbolism plays an important role throughout the book because it tells the reader exactly how they feel using objects, characters, figures, and colors to represent abstract ideas
Irony is when what is said is different than, what appears to be real. A media that utilizes irony is “The Hunger Games when Prim Rose got picked to participate in the game even though Katniss' name was in the draw more. Irony is not only shown in movies bit, in Television shows and stories as well. “The Possibility of Evil,” “The Skating Party” and “The Lottery” are three short-stories that show irony. “The Possibility of Evil” is about a 71-year-old woman, living in a small town, growing beautiful roses and she spends her days trying to the town of evil. “The Skating Party” is about someone's first love and how they lost them. ”The Lottery” is about a tradition in a small village that everyone, but one person wants to give up. The short-stories
In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” irony is an underlying theme used throughout the story. The setting is introduced as a “clear and sunny” day, but ends with the brutal death of a housewife (715). The two people who essentially run the town, Mr. Graves and Mr. Summers, also have ironic names. In addition, the characters and the narrator make ironic statements throughout the story.
Leading towards the end of the story, Armand builds a bonfire on the pyre. The bonfire symbolized Armand getting rid of all his memories of his wife and child. Throughout this paper I have shared Chopin’s use of symbolic elements by discussing symbols of racism, social class distinction, and the symbolic elements involving the difference between the gender roles. At the end of the story Armand reads a letter from his mom to his father. Armand finds out that his mother is from the African descent after; he has lost his marriage and family.
...ree for his problems and treats her with disrespect. The issues and problems in Kate Chopin?s stories also connect with issues in today?s society. There still exist many men in this world who hold low opinions of women, are hypocritical in their thoughts, dealings, and actions with women, and treat honorable, respectable women poorly, just as Charles and Armand did in Chopin?s stories. Women in ?Desiree?s Baby? and ?A Point at Issue? strive for personal freedom and equality which equates to modern times in that some women are still paid less for doing the same job as men and in some countries, women still cannot vote. The relationship between men and women in Chopin?s stories still, in some effect, directly apply to today?s world.
Throughout the years many variations of the ideas on race, class, and culture have been presented based upon different factors. In earlier times people’s views were not nearly the same as they are presented today. Ideas that women belong in the kitchen or that African-American’s were an inferior race were common. Those views were very popular during the time of Kate Chopin’s book “Desiree’s Baby.” Chopin’s book explores the controversial areas of race and class as well as touching on the subject of culture. “Desiree’s Baby” shows the life of Desiree from a young child through adulthood. The young Desiree was found by a rich family alone on the streets. Even in a time where race and social class was important the wealthy, a rich couple took in young Desiree without knowing her ancestral background. Desiree lived a good life with the family. The story then switches to when Desiree was a young adult and falls in love with Armand Aubigny. Armand also comes from a wealthy background and still falls for Desiree without knowing her racial background. Eventually, the young couple has a baby but to their surprise the baby comes out with African traits. Armand is not happy and rethinks whether she has African in her background or if maybe she had an affair with a slave. Desiree’s mother offers to have her and the baby come back and stay with them but when Desiree leaves she disappears and is never seen again. Later, Armand finds out that it may not have been Desiree that carries African roots but himself, from his mother’s side. Overall, Chopin’s work looks into the controversial issues of race, class, gender and culture using ironies and the story-line to infer the views of these topics.
In the story of “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin, there are many literary themes that can be analyzed such as love, racism, gender inequality, and miscegenation. What this analysis will focus on is primarily on the central male character, Armand Aubigny, and on his views towards racism. More specifically, what this essay will aim to prove is that Armand Aubigny looked down upon the African race to the point where he hated them. One of the biggest driving points to aid this idea is how his family name shaped his behavior and actions according to the societal normalities of his time period. Another important aspect that will be considered is his very relationship towards his slaves in how he treated them cruelly even to the point where he is described as “having the spirit of Satan” (Chopin 3). In addition to this, the reader will also see Armand’s negative reaction to being aware of the implications of his son and wife having mixed blood in where he practically disowns them. With all this culminating to Armand finding out the ugly truth that the race he had treated so horribly is actually a part of his very own blood as well.
In “Desiree’s Baby,” Kate Chopin writes about the life of a young lady and her new family. In this short story, the fond couple lived in Louisiana before the American Civil War. Chopin illustrates the romantic atmosphere between Armand and Desiree. Chopin also describes the emotion of the parents for their new born. When the baby was born, Armand’s heart had softened on behalf of others. One afternoon, Desiree and the baby were relaxing in a room with a young boy fanning them with peacock feathers. As they were relaxing, Desiree had sniffed a threatening scent. Desiree desired Armand’s assistance as she felt faint from the odor that she could not comprehend. Armand had denied the request his wife sent. Therefore, he cried out that she nor the baby were white. Thus, Desiree took the baby and herself and walked into the bayou and they were never seen again. In this short story, Chopin illustrates the psychological abuse Desiree faces from her husband.
A very dull and boring story can be made into a great story simply by adding in something that is unexpected to happen. When the unexpected is used in literature it is known as irony. An author uses irony to shock the reader by adding a twist to the story. The author of “The Story of an Hour” is Kate Chopin. Her use of irony in the story is incredibly done more than once. Irony is thinking or believing some event will happen but in return the unexpected or opposite occurs. Kate Chopin uses two types of irony in this short story. Situational irony refers to the opposite of what is supposed to happen, and dramatic irony occurs when the audience or reader knows something that the rest of the characters in the story do not know. Kate Chopin does a great job in placing irony into this short story and makes the reader understand that the unexpected happens in life.
Growing up within a household full of women, writer Kate Chopin could attest to the extreme difference it is to be considered independent vs dependent, as a woman. Accordingly, a theme of feminism and independence was apparent within her writings. However, in her short story, Desiree’s baby, she chooses to do something different. Instead of using independence as a theme, in the favor of women, Kate Chopin greets readers with a socioeconomic difference between main characters, Desiree and Armand. When considering this short story, with the Marxist criticism, a reader may even notice that Kate Chopin’s characters demonstrate economical differences (i.e. class and status) to overall argue how ones social status and economic class leads to mental illness of the lowly and the elite.
Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesn't. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" through the use of situational irony and the use of dramatic irony.
“Desiree’s Baby”, written by Kate Chopin, takes place in the late 1800s, during a time of class and racial conflict. The story highlights just where blacks stood in society by sharing the treatment that blacks got as slaves, as well as the pride that the white citizens have over themselves. Blacks were typically seen in a much lower tier then their white counter parts, and to have them both on the same level is unfathomable. “Desiree’s Baby” uses pride to show that people tend to care more about themselves and aren’t who they say they are.
As humans, we live our life within the boundaries of our belief systems and moral guidelines we were raised with. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and “Desiree’s Baby” tells the story of two women who live according to those societal boundaries.
Through our lives, we all go through regret, but it may be different for every individual person. In Regret, by Kate Chopin, the author uses metaphors, irony, and emotive language to illustrate that there are many things that we humans will regret doing in our lives. Mamzelle Aurelie’s life is portrayed as one with regrets as she wants to start a family. People should take the initiative in doing things because later we may regret not doing what we wanted to do.