Use of Symbols in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson - 981 Words

Many great authors use symbolism numerous of time in their stories. A symbol is a noun or word that represents a different idea. An author displays the symbols as a hit rather than blurting it out. Symbols are not only used in novels or poems, they are also used in everyday use. For an example, the American flag has fifty stars on it which each star represents a state. On the other hand, the thirteen stripes plays the part of our thirteen colonies; the beginning of our country. Even with our high school, a tiger pawl represents us as a fighting tiger that will strive to do what’s right, and to show our strength against our greatest rivals. In the short story â€Å"The Lottery† there was a village that practice an ancient sacrificial killing for†¦show more content†¦(The Lottery- Names) Jack is standing for the young generation. He was the youngest household taking the risk for the family. â€Å"glad to see your mother’s got a man to do it† (Shirley Jackson 1994) One of the minor characters in â€Å"The Lottery† is Mrs. Delacroix. According to Martine â€Å"the name Delacroix is the meaning of the cross in French† (Literary Analysis Essay) The Delacroix family wasn’t picked, so they were blessed. Gobellan6 Shirley Jackson did not only use characters to represent a different idea but she also used objects for symbolism. The main object form the story was the black box. â€Å"The box plays on the idea of a coffin holding the dead people† (symbolism in Shirley Jackson ‘The Lottery’†) The box contains the white papers which represent each family, who have a chance of death. The box itself is a symbolizes tradition. â€Å"No one really knows how the lottery began, but they keep following through with it, because it’s always been done†(pirate teacher) The villagers themselves have no clue when the lottery started, but it’s been their tradition that they’ve been doing for years. It’s been done even before Old Time Warner. Not only is it a tradition to the people but they are also loyal to it. â€Å"The black box is nearly falling apart... But the villagers are unwilling to replace it.†(Symbols The Black Box) Even the villagers knew that the box was hardly even a box. Their loyalty to the box was so great that they won’tShow MoreRelatedUse of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson1146 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism. Symbolism is the use of object, name, or person to represent an idea. If a name is being use, a name such as autumn can represent the adulthood of a human. Creatures such as an Eagle, represents ‘Freedom’ and ‘America’. Even inanimate objects can represent ideas; the light bulb represents ideas that just sparked into a character’s head. In the short story, â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, a village has just entered the month of June, meaning that the lottery is to begin. When everyoneRead MoreIgnornance of Tradition in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson1014 Words   |  5 Pagesstarted them or why they were enacted in the first place. The community, in the short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, is no different. The community members follow the tradition of the lottery without any consideration to its ramifications. Shirley Jacksons goal for writing The Lottery is to get the reader to question why certain things are done. She accomplishes this through her use of symbols, her description of the fear of change, and the portrayal of the dangers associated with blindlyRead MoreLiterary Elements in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson1334 Words   |  6 Pagesshort story, â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson communicates this theme by showing how the villagers participate in a lottery every year. In life, there are people who follow tradition because the have to, or they are used to following without question. The author, Shirley Jackson was born on December 14, 1916 in San Francisco, California. In 1937, Shirley Jackson attended Syracuse University where she began to write short stories. She was famous for the short story, â€Å"The Lottery,† and her best sellerRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesWhen most people play the lottery today, they think about having wealth. Generally, people who win are happy about it whether they win one dollar or a million. The lottery in our society has grown to support education and it is often worth several million dollars. Usually, the winner of the lottery gains a lot of recognition for the money they win. But what would happen if there was a small town where people held a yearly lottery in which the â€Å"winner† was the member of the town who was not sacrificedRead More Summary On The Allegory Of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery871 Words   |  4 Pages Shirley Jackson’s story â€Å"The Lottery† serves as an allegory regarding humankinds inherent to be cruel and society’s ability to inure to violence. The author’s use of a third-person dramatic narrative combined with strong themes, symbols and irony clearly supports the lesson Jackson was trying to portray. Jackson’s short story shows how easy it is to be hostile when a group of villagers with a herd mentality blindly follow an outdated tradition and that evil knows no boundaries. JacksonRead MoreThe Lottery Literary Analysis1538 Words   |  7 Pageswarmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green† (Jackson). In this first sentence of the The Lottery Shirley Jackson establishes a pleasant illusion, creating a sense of serenity. Jackson proceeds to mention that children begin to gather in the village, frolicing and conversing about school. The initial scene and satirically labeled title, The Lottery, provide a somewhat satisfying first impression to the reader. The introductory scene is eminent toRead MoreSymbols in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson 649 Words   |  3 PagesIn most peoples minds, the word â€Å"lottery† signifies huge winnings, but for the townspeople in the story â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson the word brings forth fear and devastation. The lottery starts off as a seemingly innocent event which immediately turns into feared, mass chaos in the town. The symbols Jac kson incorporates into the story contribute to the fact that everything in this town must be replaced and that some things we must let go of to start fresh with. Although, having said that, peopleRead MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson And A Rose For Emily By William Faulkner960 Words   |  4 PagesThe Use of Symbolism in â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner The use of symbolism is used in literature to enhance writing and add meaning to a story, this is evident in the two short stories â€Å"The Lottery† written by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"A Rose for Emily† written by William Faulkner. With the authors use of symbolism Jackson and Faulkner are able to add depth to their writing in a way that connects with the readers. By adding symbolism to the short storiesRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson972 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, is a short story about an annual lottery draw in a small New England town. The town’s people have performed the lottery for more than seventy years. Shirley Jackson gives â€Å"The Lottery† a whole different meaning . The lottery is used for a public stoning, opposing to the very first thing that approaches to a reader s mind when they think of the lottery; a big amount of money . The reader sees both literal and metaphorical meaning of the Sh irley Jackson’s short storyRead MoreSymbolizing the Ideas and Beliefs in The Lottery1167 Words   |  5 Pagescustoms and ideas. In â€Å"The Lottery† the people from the community are sacrificing in order for their crops to grow. Many lives are at risk and in fear despite the acceptance of their actions.Symbolism is something that represents ideas or qualities of an object. An example of this can be a dove which represents peace. In the short story The Lottery, it takes place in the late 40s early 50s. The whole story is a contradiction because you would think that having a lottery would be a good thing, but