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Kosenko notes, the village in "The Lottery" "exhibits the same socio-economic stratification that most people take for granted in a modern, capitalist society. Summers, whose name reflects the time of year in which the lottery takes place, is in charge of the solemn ritual. Although not portrayed as corrupt, Summer nevertheless represents an inherently violent element within modern capitalist hierarchies. Graves, whose name symbolizes death itself, is the town postmaster. Thus, Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery," which was written just as American suburban life was sprouting up across the nation, proves to be an enduring piece of social criticism. Jackson's critique of American is confidently waged society to draw attention to the unnecessarily violent streak within our culture....
That streak was evident before we were a nation, from the European-Indian encounters to the Salem Witch trials. Violence in America continued with centuries of slavery and continued racial oppression and discrimination afterwards. Now, as we watch reality television shows and gory video games with desensitized eyes, it becomes apparent that the underlying themes of Jackson's story still apply more than half a century later.
Works Cited
About Shirley Jackson." Online at http://www.mostweb.cc/Classics/Jackson/..
Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery." Online at http://mbhs.bergtraum.k12.ny.us/cybereng/shorts/lotry.html.
Kosenko, Peter. "A Reading of Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery.'" New Orleans Review, vol. 12, no. 1 (Spring 1985), pp. 27-32. Reproduced online at http://www.netwood.net/~kosenko/jackson.html.
McCarthyism." Online at http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAmccarthyism.htm.
Ward, Kyla. "Shirley Jackson: House and Guardians." Tabula Rasa #7. 1995. Reproduced online at http://www.tabula-rasa.info/DarkAges/ShirleyJackson.html.
Works Cited
About Shirley Jackson." Online at http://www.mostweb.cc/Classics/Jackson/..
Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery." Online at http://mbhs.bergtraum.k12.ny.us/cybereng/shorts/lotry.html.
Kosenko, Peter. "A Reading of Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery.'" New Orleans Review, vol. 12, no. 1 (Spring 1985), pp. 27-32. Reproduced online at http://www.netwood.net/~kosenko/jackson.html.
McCarthyism." Online at <> http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAmccarthyism.htm.
Ward, Kyla. "Shirley Jackson: House and Guardians." Tabula Rasa #7. 1995. Reproduced online at http://www.tabula-rasa.info/DarkAges/ShirleyJackson.html.
But there are also similarities in the characters, the setting, the plot, themes and the use of metaphor and symbolism. For example, the setting of the story is in another village, namely, Greenwich Village in New York City, where the main character, Hilda Clarence, works "as a stenographer in a coal and coke concern" (49), similar to Mr. Summer and his coal business in "The Lottery." Ms. Clarence also
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