Preview

An Old Testament Analogue For The Lottery

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
362 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
An Old Testament Analogue For The Lottery
The article An Old Testament Analogue for “The Lottery,” by James M. Gibson argues the possibility that “The Lottery” draws parallels from the Bible book of Joshua chapter 7 verses 10 through 26. He first states that Shirley Jackson’s short story has fascinated readers due to the fact that she has not stated the exact meaning of the story: “…Jackson herself steadfastly refused to explain the story either to the editors of The New Yorker or to the writers of the 450 letters…” By stating this, he can try to solidify his argument on why he thinks this story mirrors the story from the bible. The bible story takes place after the conquest of Jericho by the Israelites. God had commanded that the Israelites not to take any gold or silver from Jericho

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    This story might sound as fiction, but Religious Persecution have always happen in every part of the world. The Lottery remains relevant in our society today because the symbols in the story were never fully explained. Just like religion people follow it blindly without needing any reasons. The story itself symbolizes tradition, unquestioned traditions that exist not just in the society of the Lottery but on ours everyday. The heavy emphasis on religious traditions and symbols make the Lottery one of the darkest and most mysterious stories to…

    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Lottery, a well-known short story written by Shirley Jackson and was published in 1949. Shirley Jackson creates a story filled with lots and lots of foreshadows and symbolisms, these helps building up the tension within the reader mind to question the conclusion of the story. The main focal theme of The Lottery is the danger of blindly following tradition, the author used this theme as a mirror to reflect on the society. The Lottery is worth reading because the message Jackson used to portray the modern day society about its tradition, to question for its purpose and outcomes. Throughout the story the author used a variety of techniques to bring together the whole concept of the story, some of the techniques are foreshadowing, symbolism…

    • 127 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the writer clearly brings out various symbols and aspects that later indicates the irony of what “The Lottery” in reality means. It is evident that what begins as a bright and peaceful summer day later transpires into a perverted stoning event. Each and every single part included in the short story points out the destiny. The story is presented in such a way, that the writer excellently illustrates how items, human beings, and people’s actions clearly stand out as symbols. As a matter of facts, I can say that Jackson uses the black box, the three-legged stool, and the stones to symbolize the various aspects of this particular society and its long rooted, clueless and astonishing tradition.…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shirley Jackson's, "The Lottery" concerns a small town's annual lottery drawing and the grim circumstances that ensue. In this short but disturbingly profound piece of work, Shirley Jackson communicates to the reader the theme of scapegoatism along with its implications concerning traditions.…

    • 517 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Lottery” written by Chris Abani was a reflection of an event that took place during his own youth. It was primarily about vigilante justice and how public mobs would decide someone’s fate. The mobs would use no legal process when deciding if someone was guilty of a crime and the accused would face the consequences regardless of being innocent. There was no trial for the accused, and if the mob wanted you punished it was going to happen most defiantly without reason. This was most unfortunate for the accused because the penalty was paid ultimately with their life.…

    • 535 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    (Introduction) “The Lottery,” a short story by Shirley Jackson, is about a woman who has been selected for sacrifice by a lottery drawing. Tessie Hutchinson, and the rest of her town, are unfeeling about how the annual sacrifice affects the selected. However, they carry on with their tradition year after year, with no intent to make changes to meet modern day morals and needs. “The Lottery” is about blindly following tradition, the awareness of how cruel a practice sacrificing is, and how one’s mindset can change when they are the chosen one.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    defined in the moment after the ball, when she looks in the mirror and discovers the loss…

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    For most people the word “lottery” conjures up thoughts of winning a multi-million dollar prize, but for the villagers in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” the word brings forth a sense of dread. The lottery is an old tradition in the village that happens every June 27th and starts out as a seemingly innocent event. However as the process of the lottery begins, it is obvious the lottery is a thing the villagers fear.…

    • 523 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Written by Shirley Jackson, The Lottery focuses on the cruelty of man in its most raw state- the sacrifice of an innocent human being at the hands of the people with whom that person lives with. Written in 1948, this short story was published by Jackson in New York, where the audience of this story reviewed it ferociously, claiming that it was the most absurd story they have read. No one understood the message Jackson wished to convey across to the reader. However, looking deep, we find that there are several messages she wanted us to get. First and foremost is the fact that a group of people will go with what society lays before them, often without questioning it. Why was the lottery performed year after year? Even in the text, the people had long forgotten why and stopped doing the lottery the way it had been performed years ago. Yet, the lottery tradition continued. It makes you wonder why no one ever stopped to ask, “Hey, why are we doing this again?” By showing that no one had ever actually made a big deal out of it, Jackson shows the way people will not going against the norm of their society, even if they feel it is wrong.…

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    “ The Lottery”, written by Shirley Jackson, shows the corruption in a village whose people treat life with insignificance. Through the use of literary devices, Jackson portrays how practices in traditions can be barbaric;ultimately, resulting in persecution.…

    • 712 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lottery Discussion Answers

    • 1092 Words
    • 5 Pages

    2. What seems to have been the original purpose of the lottery? What do people believe about it?…

    • 1092 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story titled The Lottery written by Shirley Jackson is an interesting story with an unpredictable ending. The story tells us about a tradition in a small town which is held every year. The tradition is called ‘the lottery’ where the ‘winner’ will be stoned to death. Actually it is a horrible tradition, but in the story it is considered usual, and even acceptable in the society. There are several irony that we can see in the story according to that ‘scapegoat’ tradition.…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Lottery is a short story written by Shirley Jackson in 1948, yet still, leaves a mark on any person who gets their hands on it today. The story starts out by setting an enjoyable atmosphere at the beginning of summer. The community gathers and the story almost fulfills the reader’s idea of a perfect town activity. However, the story has a sharp twist at the end that leaves the reader in shock. Jackson wrote the story to leave an impact and whom how quickly human nature can change. Shirley Jackson shows the duality of human nature in the characters of the children, Tessie Hutchinson, and Mr. Summers.…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Lottery by Shirley Jackson tells an intriguing, thought-provoking and disturbing story, by using conventions of symbolism, dialogue and foreshadowing. The conventions used help bring together, emphasize and create meaning for the reader, that people blindly follow traditions that have lost meaning .Jackson has cleverly used symbolism in the short story to form a multifaceted meaning that challenges the readers to broaden their thoughts in regards to the tradition. The convention of dialogue misleads the reader at the beginning to think that the community spirit is strong but toward the end it reveals dispute and injustice. Foreshadowing subtly and progressively gives the reader captivating clues to the unfolding event. “The Lottery” tells a fascinating story about an unrevealed village which blindly follows an annual tradition passed down from long ago. This tradition involves the whole community of about 300 people, one of which is stoned to death.…

    • 890 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    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…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays