Preview

Fiction Essay

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1009 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Fiction Essay
Engl 102

Fiction Essay Thesis and Outline

Thesis: In both “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, the authors write to emphasize the sanctity of life through the conflicts endured by their main characters both implicitly and explicitly.

I. Introduction
A. Thesis Statement
B. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson brief description
C. “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell brief description

II. Characterization
A. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
1. Mr. Summers – Presider of Lottery
2. Mrs. Hutchinson – Winner of Lottery

B. “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell
1. General Zaroff – Presider of the Game
2. Rainsford – Quarry in the Game

III. Theme/Author’s Purpose
A. Overt flippancy exhibited by Hutchinson/Rainsford
B. Game/Lottery begins
C. Immediate change of heart once characters are affected

IV. Tone/Style/Irony/Symbol
A. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
1. Springtime setting
2. Implicit foreshadowing
3. Death of flippant character

B. “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell
1. Ship Trap Island
2. Explicit description of fear
3. Death of oppressor

V. Conclusion
A. Different experience for reader
B. Similar pointless rituals
C. Moral lesson
Fiction Essay

In both “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, the authors write to emphasize the sanctity of life through the conflicts endured by their main characters both implicitly and explicitly. Both stories deal with the topic of the taking of human life. “The Lottery” implicitly delves into the thought processes and ritual of a society where the taking of a life is ceremonial. However, the reader is left to wonder the purpose of this seemingly ageless tradition. “The Most Dangerous Game” on the other hand, is much more sinister in nature. Human life is also taken in a systematic way, with rules that must be followed, but also a chance that the target may earn


References: Connell, R. The Most Dangerous Game. Retrieved from http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_97542_lit_lu/ebook/media/connell_dangerous.swf Jackson, S. (1948) The Lottery. In D. Gioia & X.J. Kennedy (Eds.), Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama & Writing (pp.213-218). New York, NY: Pearson Education
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Untraditional Traditions: an Analysis of Shirley Jackson’s “the Lottery�? Essay Example
    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Untraditional Traditions: an Analysis of Shirley Jackson’s “the Lottery�? Essay Example

    In the short story “The Lottery”, Shirley Jackson uses imagery and setting, symbolism and irony to advance the theme that antiquated traditions may lead ordinary people to commit thoughtless and callous actions.…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Comparison of the Most Dangerous Game with the Lottery
    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Comparison of the Most Dangerous Game with the Lottery

    The Most Dangerous Game, by Richard Connell and The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson portray the common theme that people remain indifferent to cruelty until they are the recipients of it. Both stories show that when the darker side of human nature centers on itself, evil prevails showing how man is innately evil and that convictions and morals can be compromised by circumstance. Both authors show that through both societal standards and learned behavior, many injustices and cruelties can be accepted as normal behavior.…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Shirley Jackson Use Irony In The Lottery
    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Does Shirley Jackson Use Irony In The Lottery

    Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is easily considered as one of the most highly regarded short stories of all times as it leaves the readers with excitement and suspense at the seemingly peaceful-but-turned-violent scenario. It begins with the setting and the mood in a sense of peace and tranquility. It was “a clear and warm summer morning,” where everybody was gathered around and getting ready for the lottery that was held once…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Lottery And The Most Dangerous Game Comparison Essay
    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Lottery And The Most Dangerous Game Comparison Essay

    There are many comparisons and contrasts to be made between Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game.” The purpose of this paper will be to compare and contrast different elements of both these stories, but the main focus will be on the characters and the setting. In “The Lottery” and “The Most Dangerous Game” the characters are portrayed as normal human beings with normal behaviors, but as both stories unfold, the characters are shown to be evil.The Most Dangerous Game, by Richard Connell and The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson share a common theme which is showing the darker side of humans, that humans possess evil tendencies and that the morals of people can be corrupted. Connell and Jackson show us that…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Parallel Comparison of “the Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” and “Lottery”
    • 827 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Parallel Comparison of “the Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” and “Lottery”

    After my extensive reading the information about “Lottery”, I finally can make an analysis and appreciation of “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” and “Lottery”. The former is Ursula le Guin’s allegory about a Utopian society in which the whole town’s happiness is based on sacrificing one child’s happiness. The latter is a short story about drawing lots; ironically, the winner is also the loser who will be stoned to death.…

    • 827 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Duality Of Human Nature In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson
    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Duality Of Human Nature In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

    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
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Theme Of Hope In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery
    • 82 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Theme Of Hope In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

    The chances of winning the lottery becomes rare to the point that getting struck by lightning is a greater chance. A small town knows this in a daily routine, in which gambling for life is no metaphorical statement. In a story called “the Lottery” by Shirley Jackson demonstrates fear through symbols, irony, and imagery suggesting that hope can never be drawn in luck. Showing that winning the iconic game is not always the best for the person or those involved around them.…

    • 82 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dangerous Traditions
    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Dangerous Traditions

    Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. Ed. Thomas R. Arp, and Greg Johnson. 9th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2006. 251-259.…

    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Lottery Response Paper
    • 900 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Lottery Response Paper

    Cited: Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery.” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing Third Compact Edition. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2006. 208-214.…

    • 900 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Tradition v.s Common Sense
    • 1865 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Tradition v.s Common Sense

    Traditions are a very important aspect of human life. They are seen as another way of life. Many traditions teach things of value to children, things which parents hope will be passed on to future generations. In many societies however, traditions have taken over the common sense of the people. Nowadays, humans blindly follow traditions, not knowing or even acknowledging what they are really doing. Whether it is a celebratory tradition or a tradition that has been followed since ancient times, humans will not question the motives behind it; they will just continue to follow it. In the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, villagers blindly follow their annual tradition, one that claims a life every year. All the villagers take part in this event knowing that there will be death yet no one dares to stop and question it. Even when some people do stop and question the reasons that began the tradition, they will not do anything about it because it is a tradition that has been followed countlessly and they do not want to be the only ones to question it or even worse, not follow it. This shows that human beings will tolerate acts of evil and injustices in traditions, making them unable to step out of that circle and see what is really going on because of their preference of tradition over common sense. It does not matter if the tradition consists of bloodshed or even death; humans will continue to blindly follow tradition.…

    • 1865 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay: A Fictional Narrative
    • 1490 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Essay: A Fictional Narrative

    After Tyler's dissapearrence from existance, he then woke up to a cold morning in Norwood as Tyler arose from the cold hard road, he then tried to get a feel for his surrondings and then realized his location. "Wh-What am I doing in Norwood?" Tyler asked himself out loud. As he looked around his surroundings, he does not see any form of life in sight; the city was empty. After taking in his surroudings, Tyler then remembered what part of Norwood he was in, he commented "This is Smith Road, a-and to my right is Ida Avenue... how'd I get here?". He then heard a voice that responded "Like what your Mom said, you've never left".…

    • 1490 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Lottery
    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Lottery

    Cited: Gardner, Janet E. "The Lottery." Literature: A Portable Anthology. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin 's, 2004. N. pag. Print.…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Lottery
    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Lottery

    “The Lottery,” written by Shirley Jackson, is a short story about a strange annual ritual that takes place in a small village in New England. At the beginning of the story 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.” This pleasant sensory description leads one to believe that this will be a day of happiness. Every year on June 27th all the villagers gather around in the town square for the annual ritual of the lottery, which has been taking place for over seventy years. When reading this story, the purpose of the lottery is unclear until near the very end. The lottery is a ritual that was put in place to choose a human sacrifice to make the crops plentiful.. “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” (Jackson 224). This story makes use of many different literary elements including irony, symbolism, and various themes.…

    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    English Research Paper Social Change
    • 2046 Words
    • 9 Pages

    English Research Paper Social Change

    The idea of social change is something that I would say, deep down, scares us all. When looking at two stories in particular you can see an evolution over the years. Saying this I wonder when you do look very closely at “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell how much you will find alike, but also how much you will find different based on the time period in which they were written. Social Change is not something that’s easy for some people. However, it normally takes place over a time frame of years, therefore making it harder to notice when it is actually taking place. In today’s world, researchers and scientist have even been able to come up with ways in which they believe social change is taking place and can be predicted to an extent.…

    • 2046 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    fiction essay
    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages

    fiction essay

    Fictional writing is any type of writing that is not factual. Fictional writing most often takes the form of a story meant to convey an authors point in view or simply to entertain. The outcome of this may be a short story, novel, or drama. Fiction has different types of characteristics that make up the fictional writing, like character, plot, and setting. These characteristics are what make the imagery of fictional writing so astonishing and magical.…

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics