Shirley Jackson, author of “The Lottery”, writes about the possible negative consequences of blindly continuing and not questioning tradition, and how violent acts can occur in any unexpected time or place. She showcases these ideas and several others by discussing a “lottery” that takes place...
Tradition can be viewed as a way of life, creating a reluctant response in a civilization when the idea of change comes about, no matter how barbaric these traditions may be. Shirley Jackson in her short story, “The Lottery”, with the use of symbolism displays...
In the short story, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, the most prominent literary concept exemplified is imagery, which is the use of visually descriptive and symbolic language. When imagery is used correctly, it allows the reader to paint a vivid picture of the literary work....
Shirley Jackson’s 1948 short story ‘The Lottery’ is an exploration of what it means to belong, or not belong, to a culture and set of traditions. Jackson sets the scene comfortably, describing a traditional little village from the 1920s to the 1940s, where everyone knows...
The events of “The Lottery” border on the absurd. Nevertheless, the story cries out for interpretation on several levels. Shirley Jackson has skillfully used the elements of several ancient rituals to create a tale that touches on the character of ritual itself and the devastating...
Shirley Jackson, well known for her 200 plus short stories, 6 novels, and 2 memoirs was a very profound author, one of her most popular short stories being “The Lottery” (1948) enlightens us of how some people can commit evil acts towards their peers showing...
Shirley Jackson, establisher of the Shirley Jackson Awards and obtainer of her degree from Syracuse University where she was also an early fictional editor for the campus magazine, in her short story “The Lottery” (1948) claims that a village, ages ago, used the lottery’s type...
Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” captivates readers with her peculiar point of view on humankind and its nature. Her dark literature has a lasting effect on anyone who reads her work. Shirley Jackson was influenced, mostly, by important people in her life. Her husband, Stanley Edgar...
This short essay will analyze the representation of violence in The lottery By Shirley Jackson. Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences + experts online Get my essay The late 1940’s were a great...
Henry S. Haskins once said, ‘Tradition is a prison with majority opinion the modern jailer.’ The quote is related to the short story, ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson because tradition is substantial and important to their community. They have been doing the lottery for years...
Introduction: Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery is an alarming parable that explores the concept of senseless violence whilst featuring many other prominent themes. Background: The short story revolves around an annual lottery that a village holds to ensure that “lottery in June, corn be heavy soon”...
Tessie Hutchinson, a character in Shirley Jackson’s chilling short story “The Lottery,” is a central figure whose portrayal offers profound insights into human nature, society, and the darkness that can lurk beneath seemingly ordinary settings. “The Lottery” is a narrative that explores the sinister consequences...
Tradition conforms individuals and represents a critical aspect in how society reacts to certain objectives. Many people tend to be so deep in the traditions being believed, that they are unable to determine wrong versus right. In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, it is mentioned...
“The Lottery” is a short story by Shirley Jackson where you are introduced to the traditions of a small town. It is not a fun tradition like decorating a Christmas tree, it is much darker. Every year the town has something they call a lottery...
In “The Lottery” Shirley Jackson tells us about a town’s annual tradition. At first all of the people seemed excited and then as the tradition started everyone became anxious at the thought of what will happen. Jackson creates the theme life is chaotic shown through...
In The Haunting of Hill House Shirley Jackson demonstrates a strong depiction of oppression towards women. Jackson introduces the idea that women have a weaker mind and a tendency to act childish. This idea can be seen through the deteriorating mental health of the character,...
Introduction In “The Haunting of Hill House,” numerous characters embark on a summer stay in a house rumored to be haunted. However, one character stands out as the most profoundly affected by the house’s presence. The narrative predominantly revolves around Eleanor, positioning her as the...
Horrific, extraordinary, macabre, or supernatural events and “an atmosphere of mystery and suspense” are the essentials of the American Gothic genre of literature (Phillips). The Southern Gothic sub-genre sets the events in the American South, makes extensive use of irony, and includes eccentric, deeply flawed...
The dystopian story is a kind of science fiction. It always sets up in a “what if” society that the author pushed one or more social problems to an extreme condition. ‘The Lottery’ was written by Shirley Jackson and it was first issued in 1948....
In the short stories “The Lottery” and “The Interlopers,” the authors Shirley Jackson and Saki (respectively) use pacing, text structure, and strong moods to build suspense. Through the use of the literary elements mentioned above, the reader is left surprised at the end of both...
Born on December 14th, 1916 Shirley Jackson was a well-established American writer until her death on August 8th, 1965. She primarily wrote horror, mystery, and supernatural stories. Within her two-decade long career she wrote six novels, two memoirs, and over 200 short stories, with some...
Written during separate times of war, Shirley Jackson’s 1948 short story “The Lottery” and Ursula Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” written in 1974, both chillingly demonstrate the concept of the scapegoat. By definition, the scapegoat often represents a person or object...
The universe is full of many traditions – tailgates before a ballgame, parades commemorating holidays, and trick-or-treating on Halloween. Why does society adhere to traditions? What is the importance of a tradition? Will society ever be content with its current progression? In order for any...
“Racism is not about how you look, it’s about how people assign meaning to how you look.” (Robin Kelley, an American History Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles) Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to...
The idea of a planned and deliberate retribution at the heart of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” reflects to some degree the vengeful ideology that inspired the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. Jackson took immense inspiration from tales of the macabre in an otherwise seemingly mundane...
Shirley Jackson’s, “The Lottery,” is saturated with the use of symbolism. Symbolism is practiced to represent something else. It helps construct significance and feeling in a story by causing the reader to make connections between the piece of literature and the real world. Sometimes it...
I think this story applies to life in the United States, 70 years after it was written, because of today’s controversial politics and republican platform. In the Lottery, Old man Warner – a survivor of many lotteries- bitterly rejects reform and complains that “It’s not...
“The Lottery” is a short story in which Shirley Jackson, the author, presents an often unheard view of tradition. Jackson reveals the many evils committed by mankind. This story takes place in a small village setting, where the people partake in traditional cultures and practices....
Ever wondered what you’d do if you won the lottery? The main theme in The Lottery is blindly following tradition. In the story, there’s an annual tradition of people coming out and joining the traditional lottery. The author develops the theme of blindly following the...
Novelist, short story writer, and nonfiction writer, Shirley Jackson was an American gothic horror fiction author. She was best known for her short story “The Lottery,” a classic tale originally published in The New Yorker. A story on grotesque prejudice hidden in ordinary life, “The...
Shirley Jackson was an influential American writer known primarily for her works of horror and mystery. Over the duration of her writing career, which spanned over two decades, she composed six novels, two memoirs, and more than 200 short stories.
Works
"The Lottery", Life Among the Savages, The Haunting of Hill House, We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Themes
In her best known story “The Lottery”, Shirley Jackson discusses mainly the themes of evil and human nature. Shirley Jackson wants readers to know that they should not just blindly follow tradition. People should question the reason that traditions exist and they should not be afraid to challenge them.
Legacy
In 2007, the Shirley Jackson Awards were established with permission of Jackson's estate. They are in recognition of her legacy in writing, and are awarded for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. Jackson is said to have influenced such writers as Neil Gaiman, Nigel Kneale, Peter Straub, Richard Matheson, and Stephen King.
Quotes
“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality.”
“A pretty sight, a lady with a book.”
“I delight in what I fear.”
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