Literary Techniques And Devices In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson’s, The Lottery, is a short story that begins innocent and unassuming, but finishes with a much darker undertone. Many themes are presented in this story but one is much more prominent; you need a willingness to change tradition. Jackson created characters that represented this theme very well, as they were able to convey the traditions and emotions she was trying to show without being boring or two-dimensional. The townspeople’s refusal to change - or even completely abandon - the tradition of a lottery is what will be their downfall.

Accordingly, "The Lottery" is a tale that is difficult to set aside. It is a story that every reader might feel both love and hatred. The story has the inner power that would probably create an emotion to everyone who plans to read it. In this analysis we will be able to know what figurative language that the author used and the unique theme of the story.

Metaphors are the comparison of two unlikely things by saying that one of them is the other. Metaphors are used to clarify and lighten the meaning of our words to our audience. For example, when someone says “Time is money” they are trying to get their point quickly and using the time wisely. Just like in a work environment bosses will tell you that expression meaning to do your work faster and more efficiently. Author would use metaphor to hide thing make things interesting for the reader. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is an ironic story about a whole village that plays a game of lottery. It’s a tradition that being going on for a while in which the winner of the lottery gets the ultimate prize which is death, which where everyone stones the

Would you believe that there was once a village where everyone would partake in a terrible event, but think it was innocent because of how they blindly followed a tradition? The short story, “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, “The Lottery,” and her best seller novel, “The Haunting of Hill House”. Shirley Jackson was

“A stone hit her on the side of the head. "It isn't fair, it isn't right," Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her” (34). “The Lottery” is a short story written by Shirley Jackson which, sparked controversy when published in the June 26, 1948 issue of the New Yorker. Jackson used several different literary devices to support her theme that people who don’t question tradition get what they deserve. The literary devices Jackson uses to support the theme of ‘The Lottery’ are irony, foreshadowing, and pacing.

In her story “The Lottery”, Shirley Jackson manages to catch the readers’ attention and ultimately shock them with an unexpected ending; all of which help her emphasize her critique toward the dark side of human nature and the evil that resides, sometimes, in those who we less expect it from. Jackson uses symbolism throughout the story that helps her set the mood and also makes the readers wonder and analyze the senseless violence and cruelty in their own lives.

Shirley Jackson uses several literary devices in “The Lottery” to assist in portraying the theme of her story. Several examples of the devices used are: foreshadowing, imagery, symbolism, motif, tone, and dialogue. The main devices seen within the theme of the story however, include: dialogue, motif, symbolism, and imagery. Throughout the story the theme could be interpreted several different ways, however, the main idea is tradition. Tradition is sacred to many and meaningless to some. In “The Lottery”, tradition is something upheld only for the sake of it being tradition, no matter how unordinary or extravagant it may seem. These terms provide insight and textual evidence to help the reader determine and understand the story’s theme, being

Shirley Jackson is to be considered one of the best authors of the 1900’s. Her style of writing reeled in readers from all different ages. She can be creepy, hilarious, and inspiring to the eyes that see her words. In Shirley Jackson’s short story, The Lottery, she keeps the reader on the edge of their seat wanting to continue reading beyond the final word. She uses literary devices to shape her story to grab her readers attention all throughout the story. By using these literary devices, Shirley Jackson shows off her dark and twisted side as well as her fantastic writing style to emphasize why she is one of the writers of her generation.

Symbolism is used throughout The Lottery in the character names. Author, Shirley Jackson, uses the name of, Mr. Graves, to foreshadow the story and explain what “The Lottery” really is. Mr. Graves is the one who carries the three-legged stool which could indicate two things: the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or it could mean the past, present and future, saying that “The Lottery” will always be among the people of the village. In addition, he is also the owner of the post office and as the Postmaster, he delivers the news of the lottery on who will get stoned to death. Mr. Graves name signals the tombstones, death, and a cemetery. As well as Mr. Graves, Mr. Summers name also serves a symbolic purpose. He runs clubs and

The story took place of the morning of June 27th. The day is described as “clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full summer day.” “The flowers were blossoming profusely, and the grass was richly green.” Those statements describe a lot, and it is almost too good to be true.

The Lottery Literary Analysis In ‘The Lottery’, written by Shirley Jackson, a village goes about their annual ritual of pulling strips of paper out of a box in belief that it will help their harvest. They believe that if they randomly kill one person, the entire community will benefit. Shirley Jackson uses a village of basic farmers and a light mood at the beginning, irony, foreshadowing, and shock to convey the message that if something is wrong someone should stand up against it, before looking like a hypocrite.

While America classical writing is often known for being dark and abstract, it often illustrates a deep message of truth that relates to the existing world. Through the mid to late 1900s Shirley Jackson and Kurt Vonnegut published a number of fictional pieces in the United States. During this time, each addressed the existing struggle between the individual and society. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” are two stories that depict the oppression an individual faces when pitted to society. Jackson’s piece in particular points to the danger of blind following, while Vonnegut’s work addresses the danger in total equality. Through a number of means, both authors illustrate the danger in submissively

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a story that highlights the qualities of a society, created by the author, that tip the scale between right and wrong. The beginning of the story appeared to be harmless and innocent given the title and the enlightening introduction. At the end of the story, the reader is made aware of the dark reality of the town’s annual ritual. Overall the story contained vivid details and an unexpected turn of events. The theme represented in the story are the negative consequences of ignorantly continuing a tradition. The part of the story that sets up the plot is its theme, which is supported by the author’s effective use

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is told with the narrator in a third person's perspective. While the narrator goes on to tell a story about a small village that celebrates and unusual event. He or she, drops important details about the lottery and why nobody wants to win, but they are easily overlooked. The story starts out with a crowd of people getting ready to draw a piece of paper out of an old black box, and wishing that they did not receive the one paper with a dot on it. Since the narrator is very stingy with the information he gives the reader about how the villagers feel about the lottery, it builds up the suspense throughout the story. If this story was told in any other perspective the narrator would not be able to give the readers a suspenseful ending. Due to the fact if it was told in first person the narrator would need to reveal the person's thoughts and emotions which would give away the true meaning of the lottery.

Theme, characterization, and symbolism in “The Lottery” What is tradition? Do traditions change? Sheryl Jackson’s The Lottery offers the answer to some of these questions. “The lottery” happens once one a year on June 27th in a warm summer day.