The Lottery Shirley Jackson Character Analysis
Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” is not what you think it is. A lottery typically, is something you would want to win. In Jackson’s story, it is quite the opposite. You wouldn’t think anything was wrong at the beginning of the story. It takes place in a small village. Everyone seems to be excited about the lottery, because everyone is present for the lottery. All the characters in the story seem to get along well. Everyone in the town gathers for the lottery. All the children are gathering rocks. This rock collecting didn’t seem to make sense until later. The lottery takes place by having each man or head of household draw a piece of paper out of a black box. The man that draws the black dot then has to have their family members
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Even the children portray this male dominance. When Bobby Martin ran back to the pile of stones after his mother called him over, and then it wasn’t until his father spoke to him he obeyed. He blatantly disobeyed his mother, only to have his father correct his behavior, did he behave. This showed that the children listen to their fathers more than their mothers because of the male dominance roll in the family. The tradition of the lottery also explicits male dominance in the village society as only the men are allowed to draw from the box …show more content…
I dislike that the even the children have to draw. Especially little Davy, who doesn’t seem to have a clue as to what is really going on, as he “laughed when he picked his paper.” Ironically Tessie, who has been careless and disrespectful throughout the entire ceremony has drawn the black dot. Right away the family loyalty is completely gone. “Someone gives little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles.” This reality is so dark. Children are expected to kill, and even worse kill their own parent. All of this in the name of tradition. Old man Warner made a comment about “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.” The village is more concerned about the tradition of the lottery and the survival of the town than they are about their own family
Even the children portray this male dominance. When Bobby Martin ran back to the pile of stones after his mother called him over, and then it wasn’t until his father spoke to him he obeyed. He blatantly disobeyed his mother, only to have his father correct his behavior, did he behave. This showed that the children listen to their fathers more than their mothers because of the male dominance roll in the family. The tradition of the lottery also explicits male dominance in the village society as only the men are allowed to draw from the box …show more content…
I dislike that the even the children have to draw. Especially little Davy, who doesn’t seem to have a clue as to what is really going on, as he “laughed when he picked his paper.” Ironically Tessie, who has been careless and disrespectful throughout the entire ceremony has drawn the black dot. Right away the family loyalty is completely gone. “Someone gives little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles.” This reality is so dark. Children are expected to kill, and even worse kill their own parent. All of this in the name of tradition. Old man Warner made a comment about “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.” The village is more concerned about the tradition of the lottery and the survival of the town than they are about their own family