The Lottery Essay
Inborn Evil and Weakness of Mankind Displayed in “The Lottery”
“It may be that we are puppets-puppets controlled by the strings of society. But at least we are puppets with perception, with awareness, and perhaps our awareness is the first step to our liberation.” This insightful quote was once said by Psychologist Stanley Milgram who received his PhD in Psychology at the age of 28 (Blass 69). In the short story “The Lottery”, a fictional tale written by Shirley Jackson in 1948, a close community is described with their strict traditions. “The Lottery” includes many of the qualities from Jackson’s other stories such as a female protagonist, an unknown setting, irony, and a human problem (Parks 321). Readers are misguided with Jackson’s use of irony to believe that the townspeople are going to win some form of prize in this lottery. However, the audience discovers that the winner of the lottery does not win a prize at all. The community has their own opinions on the customs that have been around for over seventy-seven years, but none are willing to make a change. Also, many symbols are found throughout the story including the society in relation to our society today. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson ironically describes mankind’s inborn sense of evil and weakness that has been around since the beginning of time.
Jackson uses ironic language throughout her short story. The biggest display of irony can be seen first and foremost in the title. The title does not bring about fear, danger, or evil for readers. Most people believe a lottery to be a chance to win a prize such as money and think positively about it. Also, descriptions of the town such as the “fresh warmth,” blooming flowers, green grass, and the clear and sunny “June 27th” are some examples of Jackson’s figurative language. These are examples of background information and setting details readers receive from Jackson. These descriptions would lead most people to believe that the story is a
“It may be that we are puppets-puppets controlled by the strings of society. But at least we are puppets with perception, with awareness, and perhaps our awareness is the first step to our liberation.” This insightful quote was once said by Psychologist Stanley Milgram who received his PhD in Psychology at the age of 28 (Blass 69). In the short story “The Lottery”, a fictional tale written by Shirley Jackson in 1948, a close community is described with their strict traditions. “The Lottery” includes many of the qualities from Jackson’s other stories such as a female protagonist, an unknown setting, irony, and a human problem (Parks 321). Readers are misguided with Jackson’s use of irony to believe that the townspeople are going to win some form of prize in this lottery. However, the audience discovers that the winner of the lottery does not win a prize at all. The community has their own opinions on the customs that have been around for over seventy-seven years, but none are willing to make a change. Also, many symbols are found throughout the story including the society in relation to our society today. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson ironically describes mankind’s inborn sense of evil and weakness that has been around since the beginning of time.
Jackson uses ironic language throughout her short story. The biggest display of irony can be seen first and foremost in the title. The title does not bring about fear, danger, or evil for readers. Most people believe a lottery to be a chance to win a prize such as money and think positively about it. Also, descriptions of the town such as the “fresh warmth,” blooming flowers, green grass, and the clear and sunny “June 27th” are some examples of Jackson’s figurative language. These are examples of background information and setting details readers receive from Jackson. These descriptions would lead most people to believe that the story is a