The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay Example for Free

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson hearThe short allegory, The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson is one pf the most shocking stories I have ever read. It caused leaning when it was published in a New York newspaper and for good reason. The ending is very unsettling and I would charge extinct categorize it as a horror story. The picture the story paints prep ares you for the exact opposite of what actually happens, ferment this a confusing, yet unforgettable story. It is hard to figure out what the message is in this story. Starting from the beginning there are many things one must notice upon a fleck reading. Subtle symbolic representation is used in a genius manner so that only on a second reading can the proofreader understand what the author is doing in every paragraph she writes. Throughout the story we are never sure about what exactly this lottery is, which keeps the reader in suspense.The story begins with a cheerful mood. It is summertime in a small township of 300 pe ople. Every character comes by as friendly and full of positive energy. Jackson sets the scene for a beautiful day by describing growing flowers and beautiful grass. The reader is reeled into a dispassionate mood and becomes comfortable in knowing this is peaceful story. The only confusion in the beginning is when the children are gathering stones and making piles of them. The reader whitethorn indicate the children will be throwing the stones, yet in a childlike playful manner and no boisterous premonitions can be made due to the peaceful setting counteracting and overpowering any violent thoughts. The interaction between characters is 100% friendliness.The story informs us that everybody in town is gathering at the town square, which is located between a post office and a bank. At first this means goose egg extraordinary until you realize that no other buildings are mentioned. No courts or police stations, which are unremarkably found in a towns square, are mentioned. No ment ions of authority whatsoever except for Mr. Summers, who runs the yearly lottery. It is in like manner interesting how we are informed that he runs a Halloween program, which is known for trickery, yet no other holidays are mentioned.The mood of the story seems to take a turn when we learn about the villagers reaction to the black lash that holds the lottery slips. They seem to benervous around the box. Once the winner was found, we notice his reaction is not a good one. Then we read on to find that the villagers will throw stones at the winner until they come out him. This is through with(p) so casually that it creates an eerie feeling as we read how the villagers surround the dupe and prepare to kill him. The story ends there.The Lottery is definitely an interesting tale by Shirley Jackson. But what is she implying by this story? Surely she didnt write this ending because she felt it was cool. There is a not so taken for granted(predicate) message we must analyze. My conclus ion leads me to believe that this is a story about tradition. The villagers follow tradition without even knowing why the tradition exists. In the story, Old Man Warner states, Theres always been a lottery he said petulantly. In this statement, the reader sees the most ignorant of all excuses for doing anything. This, however, seems normal for the community. The reader then discovers That such(prenominal) of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers had been successful in having slips of paper substituted for the chips of wood that had been used for generations.While reading, the reader starts to understand the lottery tradition from which many rules and regulations disappeared for convenience reasons. This leads the reader to believe that the villagers do not rightfully understand the origins of the lottery. Mrs. Jackson states The people had done the lottery so many times that they only half(prenominal) listed to the directions? In this passage, the reader learns through the nonchalant ness of the villagers actions that an important event does not gander much attention. They kill the victim simply because its tradition.To put it simply, the author is trying to say that you shouldnt do things simply because others have done them. There may be a better way of doing things. I think she is implying that traditions found crosswise the globe may be foolish at times and people should think logically and not do things simply because they were born doing it, like the baby who is handed stones, yet to make sense out of things, and discard those which do not make much sense. This is a strong message in todays night club where tradition may cause destruction and hate amongst human beings. I could be wrong, but if I am correct, those who read should learn a powerful lesson and take a look attheir beliefs and make the right change.