Criticism in the Short Story The Lottery - 1660 Words

Criticism in The Lottery This paper will examine the short story, The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, with the aids of lenses such as cultural criticism and feminist criticism. The story was written and published just as the twentieth century reached its middle point. The setting of the story takes place in small town America. The success of the story comes from Jacksons applied knowledge of stereotypes of things such as America, small town America, families, and women. Jackson plays on cultural norms to lull the reader and even trick the reader in a variety of ways, most notably by luring the reader into a false sense of relative security. The story takes place on a summer day in a moderate to exceptionally rural town. Readers might presume certain traits of the story because it takes in a very small, and seemingly quiet town, full of locals who are far from urbanized. It is upon these stereotypes and archetypes of Americans, American culture, and the sexes that Jackson uses to make her point and ultimately su rprise the reader, with the biggest surprise for the final moments of the story. The Lottery is an intriguing meditation on cultural norms and expectations, especially of those Americans who lived in urban areas. Ultimately, The Lottery is a strong example of how a piece of writing, seemingly innocent and naè ª °ve enough, can overtly and subtlely shock readers by exposing the biases of the individual as well as of the overall culture of small town, middleShow MoreRelatedHuman Corruption Of Human Nature1140 Words   |  5 PagesHuman Corruption in â€Å"The Lottery† â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson is a classic short story in U.S literature. Written in 1948, the short story has been published in multiple languages around the world. It is still a required reading in U.S today. The story was later adapted into both a TV short and a play (â€Å"Shirley Jackson’s Bio†). Jackson uses irony and symbolism in â€Å"The Lottery† to show the corruption of human nature. The story opens up on a clear June day. It continues to describe an ominousRead MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson1692 Words   |  7 PagesShirley Jackson was a very popular American author in her time. Over the years Jackson s bizarre short stories have been receiving a substantial increase of criticism and attention. Jackson is most known for her short story â€Å"The Lottery†, which was first published in â€Å"The New Yorker† in June of 1948. Jackson s story had received tons of feedback, little which honored her writing, but majority that had belittled her. Jackson’s life was very interesting for her time. Jackson was known as a depressedRead More Symbolism in Jacksons The Lottery Essay1039 Words   |  5 PagesLottery: A Terrifying Trip Symbols can be used to convey a special meaning to the reader by association, especially when a material object is used to represent something abstract. Throughout the years, American writers have been using their works as a way to describe society to their broad audiences. As time periods change, writers as well as readers change their view about society. Several factors affect how readers view society in a piece of literature. To get a better understanding ofRead MoreTo Further Understand The Text One Must Know The Literary1724 Words   |  7 PagesTo further understand the text one must know the literary devices present in The Lottery. In the short story The Lottery there is a theme of tradition. The citizens all blindly followed the tradition of the lottery while barely remembering its origin or reasoning. Each year the town came together to have its lottery. It was said that the lottery was done each year so that they would have good crops but many of the citizens had for gotten its purpose. While waiting for the ceremony to begin the childrenRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesWhen most people play the lottery today, they think about having wealth. Generally, people who win are happy about it whether they win one dollar or a million. The lottery in our society has grown to support education and it is often worth several million dollars. Usually, the winner of the lottery gains a lot of recognition for the money they win. But what would happen if there was a small town where people held a yearly lottery in which the â€Å"winner† was the member of the town who was not sacrificedRead MoreLiterary Elements in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson1334 Words   |  6 Pagestradition? The short story, â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson communicates this theme by showing how the villagers participate in a lottery every year. In life, there are people who follow tradition because the have to, or they are use d to following without question. The author, Shirley Jackson was born on December 14, 1916 in San Francisco, California. In 1937, Shirley Jackson attended Syracuse University where she began to write short stories. She was famous for the short story, â€Å"The Lottery,† and herRead MoreWinners Will Be Executed Short Story Analysis1085 Words   |  5 PagesWinning a lottery is a good thing, right? Someone buys a ticket, then scratches it off or waits to see if they hold the winning number in their hands. However, that is not the case in Shirley Jackson’s world of â€Å"The Lottery†. In her critically acclaimed short story, a small town gathers in the village square and draws a name out of a box, and the ‘winner’ of their lottery is brutally stoned to death. All of this is done in a calm and orderly fashion, as well as without question. The lottery is a yearlyRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson1534 Words   |  7 Pages Literary Analysis: â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson is a short story written in 1948. Due to World War II ending around this time, her story took some strong criticism. The people at that time wanted uplifting stories, and this story is the very opposite because of its underlying theme of tradition and conformity. â€Å"The Lottery† shows that no matter the tradition or belief, people will not stray from their daily routine because humans are creatures of habitRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson Literary Analysis1042 Words   |  5 PagesJackson s ‘The Lottery’ is a classic American short story known for its shocking twist ending and its insightful commentary on cultural traditions. It was originally printed in The New Yorker magazine in 1948.The tale begins with all the villagers gathering in the town square for the annual lottery as if it were just another day. Children are playing with stones while the adults swap stories of farming and gossip. It s not unt il the lottery begins, over halfway through the story that we start toRead MoreCritical Analysis for The Lottery1205 Words   |  5 PagesCritical Analysis for â€Å"The Lottery† Shirley Jacksons short story, The Lottery, aroused much controversy and criticism in 1948, following its debut publication, in the New Yorker. Jackson uses irony and comedy to suggest an underlying evil, hypocrisy, and weakness of human kind. The story takes place in a small village, where the people are close and tradition is paramount. A yearly event, called the lottery, is one in which one person in the town is randomly chosen, by a drawing, to be violently