She is excited by the idea of an independent life without her husband. "There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature" (Chopin, 1894). But while Chopin's protagonist seemingly instinctively seeks freedom and independence, the townspeople of Jackson's tale seek community and convention, even when they could freely choose to leave the town or abandon the lottery, to allow every citizen to live without fear. It is an unquestioned part of their culture: "The lottery was conducted -- as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program -- by Mr. Summers, who had time and energy to devote to civic activities" (Jackson, 1948). And when Mrs. Hutchinson complains about being the victim of the lottery, her complaint is not that it is wrong -- how could she say so, given that she could have left the town -- but that it is not fair....
Community values blind the town, and even in death, unlike Mrs. Mallard, Mrs. Hutchinson cannot see the wrongness of the lottery, only the unpleasantness of her death.
" Katniss also represents a girl who is coming of age. In this sense, the film could be called a bildungsroman, which is a genre that is completely opposite of "The Lottery." "The Lottery" is sheer over-the-top satire. The Hunger Games does not set out to ridicule and poke fun at human nature but highlight its good points in an increasingly demented and dystopian world. Katniss is admired for her
Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a masterful short story that tricks its reader initially, and later surprises the reader into the understanding of the dynamics of scapegoat. The value of the book lies in its narrative technique that engages the reader dramatically in the textual process in such a manner that the reader participates in the act of scapegoat by means of identification with the townspeople (Lenemaja 1975). Simultaneously, when the
Lottery and the Rocking Horse Winner An Analysis of "Luck" in "The Lottery" and "The Rocking Horse Winner" Both Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and DH Lawrence's "The Rocking Horse Winner" are stories about luck -- and yet in both stories that "luck" turns out to be rather unfortunate -- or, ironically, "unlucky." This paper will examine the concept of luck in both "The Lottery" and "The Rocking Horse Winner" and show how
Lottery Hunger Games Picking children at random to be killed cruelly seems like an outlandish premise for any story, but remarkably, Suzanne Collins's 2008 novel The Hunger Games resembles Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" in many ways. Both are about a cruel, senseless annual event, in which people are chosen at random in a lottery situation. The selected people face death, and their death is presented to the public as
Lottery Behind traditions and rituals in "The Lottery" Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" is a frightening story to read. The setting seems very familiar to the average reader: Hometown America on a clear Summer day. However, the traditions followed by this small town contrast greatly with the setting in which they are taking place. The Lottery in question in this story is not one to win money or another prize, but rather it
When Tessie is chosen, she is quickly stoned to death by the other town people and her family. The village deems murder to be an acceptable tradition… until it is you who is chosen. The reader of "The Most Dangerous Game" is also faced with the question of the acceptability of murder. In this story, the definition of murder is expanded to include the murder of hunted animals and murder
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now