?The Lottery? Essay, Research Paper

Donte’ Sims

English 3-Spring 2001

04/20/01

Jr. Theme Part One

Why would a civilized and peaceful town would ever suggest the horrifying acts of violence can take place anywhere at anytime and the most ordinary people can commit them. Jackson’s fiction is noted for exploring incongruities in everyday life, and “The Lottery”, perhaps her most exemplary work in this respect, examines humanity’s capacity for evil within a contemporary, familiar, American setting. Noting that the story’s characters, physical environment, and even its climactic action lacks significant individuating detail, most critics view “The Lottery.” As a modern-day parable or fable, which obliquely addresses a variety of themes, including the dark side of human nature, the danger of ritualized behavior, and the potential for cruelty when the individual submits to the mass will. Shirley Jackson also addresses cruelty by the citizen’s refusal to stand up and oppose “The Lottery.” Violence and cruelty is a major theme in “The Lottery.”

The theme in “The Lottery” is violence and cruelty. Violence and cruelty is a major theme because there is a lot of violence and cruelty in the world. The Lottery has been read as addressing such issues as the public’s fascination with salacious and scandalizing journalism, McCarthyism, and the complicity of the general public in the victimization of minority groups, epitomized by the Holocaust of World War II. The Holocaust was very cruel and violent cause other people didn’t like certain people so they just kill them and their children and still now we have violence and cruelty with wars and people that hate each other.

On the morning of June 27 of a recent year, the 300 villagers of an American village prepare for the annual lottery in a mood of excitement. The horrible tradition of the lottery is so old that some of its ritual has been forgotten and some has been changed. Its basic purpose is entirely unremembered, but residents are present to take part in it. The children in the village created a “great pile of stones” in one corner of the stoning square. The civic-minded Mr. Summers has been sworn in and then he hands a piece of paper to the head of each family. When it is discovered the Hutchinson family has drawn the marked slip, each member of the family Bill, Tessie, and the children is given another slip. Silence prevails as suspense hovers over the proceedings. After helplessly protesting the unfairness of the first drawing, Tessie finds that she holds the marked slip. Set in a clear space, desperately afraid, she feels the first pebbles hitting her as people, holding stones, push forward, “and then they were upon her.” Jackson highlights human kind’s capacity to victimize others by having friends and family participates in the killings.

In “The Lottery” “Jackson portrays the average citizens of an average village taking part in an annual sacrifice of one of their own resident”(Hicks 149). So this theme will throw emotions and question morality. This story was very cruel because a woman can not back talk any man with out getting in trouble. People are living in this village are very cruel by playing the lottery by “selecting one individual at random from the village”(Oehlschlaeger 153). This is very ironic cause a peaceful and tranquil town where brutal and violent acts happen. “Individuals who are members of smaller families are more likely to be chosen as the sacrificial victim”(Oehlschlaeger 153). When somebody is chosen the villagers believe, based on ancient custom, that someone has to be sacrificed for the good of the village even if that person has not done anything wrong. The violence in this story was strange why would a small village start doing a “tuneless chant” and the “ritual salute,” unless something bad will or might happen. Jackson’s fiction is noted for exploring incongruities in everyday life, and The Lottery, perhaps her most exemplary work in this respect, examines humanity’s capacity for evil within a contemporary, familiar, American setting. Noting that the story’s characters, physical environment, and even its climactic action lack significant individuating detail, most critic’s view. The Lottery as a modern-day parable or fable, which obliquely addresses a variety of themes, including the dark side of human nature, the danger of ritualized behavior, and the potential for cruelty when the individual submits to the mass will.

A peaceful town can be crazy with stupid customs like to be stone to death for the good of the village. The villagers forgot the rest of the customs that the village once had so the villagers could have oppose the lottery or try to stop the killings instead of joining and throwing stones at that person. Why would anybody want to participate in something that violence and cruelty? Nobody feels bad after killing someone that they loved. This village is like a cult cause the villagers start singing a “tuneless chant” and a “ritual salute” and being sacrifice to honor there god. Anyone can be chosen to be stone to death even kids.

Bibliography

“The Lottery”

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Wilson, Kathleen “The Lottery”

Short stories for kids, vol.1

Ed. Kathleen Wilson.

Detroit, Mi: Gale, 1988 139-154

Jackson, Shirley “The Lottery”

The Lottery

The New Yorker 28 June 1948 292

Oehlschlaeger, Fritz “The Lottery”

Short stories for kids, vol.1

Ed. Kathleen Wilson.

Detroit, Mi: Gale, 1988 148-153

Hicks, Jennifer “The Lottery”

Short stories for kids, vol.1

Ed. Kathleen Wilson.

Detroit, Mi: Gale, 1988 148-153