The Theme Of Tradition In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”, a small village does a lottery which leads to a tragic result. The people gather at the town square to conduct the lottery, an annual tradition. Everyone selects a piece of paper and the Hutchinsons win it, so they draw each family member. Mrs.Hutchinson gets the marked piece of paper and the villagers then proceed to stone her. Although several themes were presented throughout the story, tradition was emphasized through several literary elements. Tradition is not enough of a reason to do that tradition if it causes harm. Shirley Jackson uses tone, symbolism, and situational irony to communicate the theme of tradition.
Shirley Jackson’s use of tone conveys the theme of tradition. Jackson writes, “...quiet,