The symbolism in the lottery

Introduction

Shirley Jackson's “The Lottery”, apparently expresses Jackson's sentiments in relation to human's evil thoughts about their envoirnment and rituals. The author shows how the compassion in people can be seen in different situations considering their values and custom. Jackson presents the topic of the sotry with the use of setting and emblems. The background of “The Lottery” carries the theme of customs and rituals. In the lottery though, the story foreshadows precisely the real learning for people of different backgorunds. The article begins with a recount of an apparently beaming environment. Jackson conceives a snug air by relating the undertakings of the population of the town.

The Review

The book “The Lottery” is undoubtedly a great book of American literature—not necessarily because of its message but in fact because of its creatively outstanding story. In the beginning, it is anticipated that a common principle of lottery is that someone might win an eye-catching reward. Nevertheless, when the reader moves ahead into the story, worrying details about the topic of the book suggests that more is at stake. When the author describes the unsuccessful symbol and objects that “It wasn't fair,” the people of the town advised her to be a good sport and accept her prize. All the people of the town joined in the stoning, even her own children.

The fundamental social theme focuses on how people often stick to traditions, even when they are barbaric and have lost their earlier meaning. The idea of the lottery itself refers back to a primitive fertility custom of scape-goating; that is, choosing one person of the society to be sacrificed to mollify the gods and guarantee a good quality crop. What makes the story so upsetting is that it does not occur in a prehistoric society in the far-away past but rather in America in the 20th century? Furthermore, instead of being written as if it were an allegory of man's prehistoric nature, it is presented practically as if it were actually occurring. When “THE LOTTERY” was first published, many booklovers wrote to Jackson asking to know where such dismays were being tolerated.

The events of “The Lottery” border on the absurd. Nevertheless, the story cries out for interpretation on several levels. Shirley Jackson has skillfully used the elements of several ancient rituals to create a tale that touches on the character of ritual itself and the devastating effects of mob psychology. At the heart of the story is one of the oldest concepts of humankind: the idea of the scapegoat. Prehistoric civilizations often carried out a service in which the wickedness of a whole society was emblematically transferred to one member of the group, either human or animal, and that member was killed or banished. This death or banishment suggested that the evils of the past had been expurgated, allowing for a better future for the society. The Jewish people in Old Testament times carried out the ritual by assigning a goat as the receiver of all evil and sins, ...