Traditions in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay

Shirley Jacksons story, The Lottery is about a group of towns people who meet every year on the 27th of June. On this day a stoning takes place, as it washes away the sins of everyone that lived in the village. However, should the tradition of the stoning be changed when it becomes your time? On this day every year the people of the village began to gather in the square, around ten oclock (Jackson) to prepare for the stoning. This event would take about two hours as there were only about three hundred people (Jackson). Men, women and children participated in this tradition of stoning. It was a very simple plan as to who would be stoned to death. It consisted on the exact number of people in the village as to how many†¦show more content†¦Mr. Summers called out everyones name separately when it was their turn to drawl a piece of paper from the box. The papers had to remain closed until everyone had taken their turn. Mr. Summers announced that it was now time for everyone to open their pieces of paper that they had drawn from the box to see who had received the black dot. The village people became anxious, as they wanted to known who received the paper with the black dot on it. The people of the village began to say, Its Hutchinson. Its Bill, Bill Hutchinsons got it (Jackson). Mrs. Hutchinson began shouting that it was not fair, and that Mr. Hutchinson was not permitted enough time to draw from the box. The people of the village began telling Mrs. Hutchinson that everything was done correctly and to be a good sport (Jackson). Mr. Summers asked Mr. Hutchinson how many people were in his family. Mr. Hutchinson answered with the number five. Mr. Summers then took four pieces of blank paper and the one paper with the black dot on it, and placed the five pieces of paper back into the black box (Jackson). The Hutchinson family would have to do the drawing all over again, except whoever received the paper with the black dot on it would be the one stoned. As the family opened their papers, they had taken from the box Mrs. Hutchinson stood holding the bla ck dot. Mr. Summers then announced, Lets finish quickly (Jackson). Mrs. Hutchinson was standing in the center ofShow MoreRelatedTradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson1774 Words   |  8 PagesAmerica’s most beloved short stories, â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, leaves readers with excitement and perhaps a small sense of doubt. Doubt could be an aspect of the reader’s mind due to the gory fact of the cultural tradition in the small farming town of the story. Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† displays the theme of unwavering ritualistic tradition and the use of symbolism throughout the story. This means the village is unable to move past their tradition while symbolism is shown through character’sRead MoreTradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay1229 Words   |  5 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tradition; it is the back bone of every culture and civilization. It is what keeps the beliefs, philosophies, and activities of societies alive, to be passed down from generation to generation. However not all traditions are practiced with pure intentions.   Some activities become so routine, people don’t know a life outside of them. Societies become so accustomed to â€Å"tradition† that they will participate in pastimes without   questioning the ethics or morals of the situation. UltimatelyRead MoreIgnornance of Tradition in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson1014 Words   |  5 Pages Tradition, defined as the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction. (Tradition) Tradition is a core trait of humanity, from the time before recorded history to present, humanity has followed traditions or customs that have been passed down from generation to generation. More often than not communities all over the world blindly follow these practices with little regard to who startedRead MoreThe Meaning of a Tradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson574 Words   |  2 PagesShirley Jackson wrote many books in her life, but she was well known by people for her story â€Å"The Lottery† (Hicks). â€Å"The Lottery† was published on June 28, 1948, in the New Yorker magazine (Schilb). The story sets in the morning of June 27th in a small town. The townspeople gather in the square to conduct their annual tradition, the Lottery. The winner of the lottery will stoned to death by the society. Although there is no main character in the story, the story develops within other important elementsRead MoreTraditions in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay576 Words   |  3 PagesThesis: After a long period of time passes people forget the true meaning of their traditions by slowly disregarding as the years pass. I. The first part of the traditional ritual that is changed is the chips of wood. A. Chips of wood, Mr. Summers had argued, had been all very well when the village was tiny... B. Its perceived as though there is no regard to how the ancestors of this village put on the lottery. II. The second part of the traditional ritual that is changed is the recitalRead MoreTradition in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay1769 Words   |  8 PagesTradition in â€Å"The Lottery† There are many things that people do every day without questioning why they do them. These are our habits and traditions, and though for the most part they are unimportant they can be a crucial part of our culture and our interactions with each other. Sometimes there are traditions that can cause harm or are morally unacceptable. What should be done in this case? Edmund Burke, a nineteenth century politician and author, argues that it is best to stick with traditionRead MoreEssay on â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson: A Brutal Tradition608 Words   |  3 Pagesthe oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people,† capturing the main message of the short story â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, perfectly, because of the themes of peer pressure and tradition present throughout the story. In this story, the people of a small village gather for their annual tradition, a lottery, in which one person is picked at random out of a box containing each of the villagers’ names. The village, which is not specifically named, seemsRead MoreTradition Stays Put in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson1053 Words   |  4 PagesTradition Stays Put Easily regarded as one of America’s most beloved short stories, â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, leaves readers with excitement and perhaps a small sense of doubt. Doubt could be an aspect of the reader’s mind due to the gory fact of the cultural tradition in the small farming town of the story. Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† displays the theme of unwavering ritualistic tradition and symbolism. This means the village is unable to move past their tradition while symbolismRead More Theme of Tradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay1322 Words   |  6 PagesThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson Americans day after day live much of their lives following time-honored traditions that are passed down from one generation to another. From simple everyday cooking and raising children, to holidays and other family rituals, tradition plays a significant role on how they go by there everyday lives. In Shirley Jacksons short story, The Lottery, the citizens of a small farming town follow one such tradition. A point is made regarding human nature in relationRead MoreTraditions in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner1176 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the world there have been bazaar rituals or traditions that don’t usually happen in the United States. To us it may seem wrong and cruel but to those countries seems to be the right thing to do because that is what they believe in. Some countries do their rituals or traditions like every single year. Most of them are somewhat similar or different but still have the same aspect. There are many people who still follow these traditions or try to escape to another place so they can be free Traditions in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay Thesis: After a long period of time passes people forget the true meaning of their traditions by slowly disregarding as the years pass. I. The first part of the traditional ritual that is changed is the chips of wood. A. Chips of wood, Mr. Summers had argued, had been all very well when the village was tiny... B. Its perceived as though there is no regard to how the ancestors of this village put on the lottery. II. The second part of the traditional ritual that is changed is the recital. A. It is said that it was ...performed by the official of the lottery, a perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year... B. . Its almost as if they heard of the tradition, took the stoning someone to death†¦show more content†¦The first part of the traditional ritual that is changed is the chips of wood. Chips of wood, Mr. Summers had argued, had been all very well when the village was tiny... The result of this argument was replacing the chips of wood with little pieces of paper since the population of the village had increased. This reveals how the growth of the community can change peoples perspective on how they are used to doing this tradition. Its perceived as though there is no regard to how the ancestors of this village put on the lottery. No one shows deep family values to keep the tradition rich and pure of its originating roots. The chips of wood are taken from a tradition to basically do away with extra time and work. The second part of the traditional ritual that is changed is the recital. It is said that it was ...performed by the official of the lottery, a perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year... This recital was allowed to lapse years and years ago. The recital was part of the tradition for many years and its very disturbing to know that it would just be tossed aside like last weeks garbage. Its almost as if they heard of the tradition, took the stoning someone to death part, and then created the rest of the ritual themselves. Coming from a family of deep roots and many traditions, the destroying of a tradition would be greatlyShow MoreRelatedTradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson1774 Words   |  8 PagesAmerica’s most beloved short stories, â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, leaves readers with excitement and perhaps a small sense of doubt. Doubt could be an aspect of the reader’s mind due to the gory fact of the cultural tr adition in the small farming town of the story. Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† displays the theme of unwavering ritualistic tradition and the use of symbolism throughout the story. This means the village is unable to move past their tradition while symbolism is shown through character’sRead MoreTradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay1229 Words   |  5 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tradition; it is the back bone of every culture and civilization. It is what keeps the beliefs, philosophies, and activities of societies alive, to be passed down from generation to generation. However not all traditions are practiced with pure intentions.   Some activities become so routine, people don’t know a life outside of them. Societies become so accustomed to â€Å"tradition† that they will participate in pastimes without   questioning the ethics or morals of the situation. UltimatelyRead MoreIgnornance of Tradition in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson1014 Words   |  5 Pages Tradition, defined as the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction. (Tradition) Tradition is a core trait of humanity, from the time before recorded history to present, humanity has followed traditions or customs that have been passed down from generation to generation. More often than not communities all over the world blindly follow these practices with little regard to who startedRead MoreThe Meaning of a Tradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson574 Words   |  2 PagesShirley Jackson wrote many books in her life, but she was well known by people for her story â€Å"The Lottery† (Hicks). â€Å"The Lottery† was published on June 28, 1948, in the New Yorker magazine (Schilb). The story sets in the morning of June 27th in a small town. The townspeople gather in the square to conduct their annual tradition, the Lottery. The winner of the lottery will stoned to death by the society. Although there is no main character in the story, the story develops within other important elementsRead MoreTradition in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay1769 Words   |  8 PagesTradition in â€Å"The Lottery† There are many things that people do every day without questioning why they do them. These are our habits and traditions, and though for the most part they are unimportant they can be a crucial part of our culture and our interactions with each other. Sometimes there are traditions that can cause harm or are morally unacceptable. What should be done in this case? Edmund Burke, a nineteenth century politician and author, argues that it is best to stick with traditionRead MoreTraditions in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay464 Words   |  2 Pages Shirley Jacksons story, The Lottery is about a group of towns people who meet every year on the 27th of June. On this day a stoning takes place, as it washes away the sins of everyone that lived in the village. However, should the tradition of the stoning be changed when it becomes your time? On this day every year the people of the village began to gather in the square, around ten oclock (Jackson) to prepare for the stoning. This event would take about two hours as there wereRead MoreEssay on â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson: A Brutal Tradition608 Words   |  3 Pagesthe oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people,† capturing the main message of the short story â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, perfectly, because of the themes of peer pressure and tradition present throughout the story. In this story, the people of a small village gather for their annual tradition, a lottery, in which one person is picked at random out of a box containing each of the villagers’ names. The village, which is not specifically named, seemsRead MoreTradition Stays Put in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson1053 Words   |  4 PagesTradition Stays Put Easily regarded as one of America’s most beloved short stories, â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, leaves readers with excitement and perhaps a small sense of doubt. Doubt could be an aspect of the reader’s mind due to the gory fact of the cultural tradition in the small farming town of the story. Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† displays the theme of unwavering ritualistic tradition and symbolism. This means the village is unable to move past their tradition while symbolismRead More Theme of Tradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay1322 Words   |  6 PagesThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson Americans day after day live much of their lives following time-honored traditions that are passed down from one generation to another. From simple everyday cooking and raising children, to holidays and other family rituals, tradition plays a significant role on how they go by there everyday lives. In Shirley Jacksons short story, The Lottery, the citizens of a small farming town follow one such tradition. A point is made regarding human nature in relationRead MoreTraditions in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner1176 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the world there have been bazaar rituals or traditions that don’t usually happen in the United States. To us it may seem wrong and cruel but to those countries seems to be the right thing to do because that is what they believe in. Some countries do their rituals or traditions like every single year. Most of them are somewhat similar or different but still have the same aspect. There are many people who still follow these traditions or try to escape to another place so they can be free