When it comes to writing an essay on Shirley Jackson's iconic short story "The Lottery," the most important decision you'll make is choosing the right topic. The topic you choose will set the tone for your entire essay and determine the direction of your analysis. In this guide, we'll discuss ...Read More
When it comes to writing an essay on Shirley Jackson's iconic short story "The Lottery," the most important decision you'll make is choosing the right topic. The topic you choose will set the tone for your entire essay and determine the direction of your analysis. In this guide, we'll discuss the importance of choosing the right topic and provide you with a detailed list of recommended essay topics to help you get started.
Choosing the right topic for your "The Lottery" essay is crucial for several reasons. First and foremost, the topic you choose should be one that you are passionate about and that interests you. This will make the writing process much more enjoyable and ultimately lead to a better final product. Additionally, the right topic will allow you to delve deeply into the story's themes, characters, and symbolism, providing you with ample material for analysis and discussion.
When choosing a topic for your "The Lottery" essay, consider the following tips:
Choose a topic that interests you and that you are passionate about.
Consider the themes, characters, and symbolism in the story and choose a topic that allows for in-depth analysis.
Look for unique angles and perspectives that haven't been extensively explored in existing literature.
Ensure that your topic is specific and focused, rather than broad and vague.
Popular "The Lottery" Essay Topics
Themes
The theme of tradition in "The Lottery."
The role of violence in maintaining social order.
The dangers of blindly following tradition.
The theme of scapegoating in the story.
The loss of individuality in a conformist society.
Characters
An analysis of Tessie Hutchinson's character.
The portrayal of Mr. Summers as a symbol of authority.
The characterization of Old Man Warner and his views on tradition.
The role of children in the story and their attitudes towards the lottery.
An exploration of the townspeople's collective mindset and its impact on their actions.
Symbolism
The significance of the black box in the story.
The symbolic meaning of the stones used in the lottery.
The symbolic importance of the date and time of the lottery.
An analysis of the lottery itself as a symbol of blind obedience.
The symbolic significance of the names of the characters in the story.
Historical and Cultural Context
The story's commentary on 1940s American society.
An exploration of the story's connection to the Salem witch trials.
The impact of World War II on the story's themes and characters.
The story's relevance to contemporary issues and societal norms.
An analysis of the story's reception and controversy upon its publication.
Comparative Analysis
Comparing "The Lottery" to other works of dystopian literature.
An analysis of the story's similarities and differences with George Orwell's "1984."
Comparing the portrayal of ritual and tradition in "The Lottery" to other literary works.
An exploration of the story's connection to other works by Shirley Jackson.
Comparing "The Lottery" to other stories with shocking plot twists.
With these recommended essay topics, you're sure to find the perfect subject for your "The Lottery" essay. Remember to choose a topic that interests you and allows for in-depth analysis, and you'll be well on your way to crafting a compelling and insightful essay.
Introduction to Blind Tradition Tradition is often seen as a bedrock of culture and identity, providing stability and continuity in an ever-changing world. However, what happens when traditions become blind—when they are followed without question or understanding? This theme resonates powerfully in two iconic literary...
The conclusion of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is nothing short of shocking, leaving readers to grapple with the implications of its chilling finale. The story, first published in 1948, paints a vivid picture of a seemingly ordinary town where an annual lottery takes place. However,...
When we dive into Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery,” one of the first symbols that grabs our attention is the black box. It’s a simple object, but its significance runs deep and multifaceted. At first glance, you might think it’s just an old wooden...
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...
Humanity is best known for confusing one thing for another and doing things in the name of following cultural guidelines or social expectations. But, is that action justified? Is it even a rational mindset? Most times, such behavior is very harmful and dangerous to individuals....
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...
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...
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...
“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson both illustrate the dangers of blindly following ritualized practices and traditions. The stories involve the use of an institutionalized drawing system, one which is employed to blindly choose a sacrifice...
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”...
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...
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...
Symbolic Analysis of “The Lottery” In the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the author uses a morbid lottery system to symbolize issues of traditions in contemporary society. Through the use of symbolism embedded in the story in the form of a raggedy black...
‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson is an account of an irregular town trapped in a snare of continually following custom, in any event, when it isn’t to their greatest advantage. Jackson utilizes images all through the story that identify with the general topic. This helps...
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...
The short stories, The Bet, by Anton Chekhov, and The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, demonstrate the effects of life and existence, tradition and customs, and society and class through different perspectives on these themes of life. Because the characters in the stories experience contrasting perspectives...
Shirely Jackson, writer of many art works, in her short story “The Lottery” (1948) argues that tradition should not be followed in every situation when men are always first, and women take the backseat. Jackson shows her argument with different examples that include traditional living...
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....
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...
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...
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...
The Lottery Character Symbolization When one reads a story they often look for character development, traits, and symbolization to help them better understand the context. In the short story “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson, she helps the reader better understand the story by using vast...
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 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....
The crowd of villagers threw the stones at Tessie with all their might. “NO! Stop it! Please!” Tessie shouted with tears in her eyes. ”What’s happening?” Little Davy asked Mr. Hutchinson. With tears falling down his face, Mr.Hutchinson said “Oh, it’s nothing you have to...
One of the greatest mysteries in the human psychology is the idea of human nature, the idea that humans share similar characteristics that explain our reasoning behind our choices and morals. Two pieces of literature that explore this concept are ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson...
In most of today’s societies, we treat life as the most precious thing to hold on to. We all participate in numerous ways to keep us entertained in ways that also distract us from our regular lives; and a large part of our lives is...
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....
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...
