Symbolism in Shirley Jackson\'s the Lottery

¶ … Lottery by Shirley Jackson. Specifically it will discuss symbolism in the story, and how symbolism functions as a whole. Symbolism is one of the main themes of "The Lottery," and author Jackson develops and creates the story carefully to make the most of the symbolism she uses throughout it. The story symbolizes the black human nature that can be a part of all humankind, and illustrates how your neighbors can turn against you in an instant if it is to their benefit, or if the community condones it. This shows how close to animals humans really are. Jackson's symbolism is frightening because it is so accurate and so true of humankind.

Jackson's story is an intimate look into human nature and how humans can be intensely evil if they are allowed to be. She uses the symbolism of the yearly community event to show how the town's residents turn ugly and evil in just a few moments. This symbolizes the evil that can live in all of us, and how it only takes a moment for it to show itself. The townspeople gather, joke, and banter as they wait to draw who will die. That makes the symbolism even more terrifying, because they know what is going to happen and they make light of their own cruelty and ability to harm others. Jackson writes of their indifference, "The women, wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk. They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands" (Jackson). This could be any community gathering, from the annual town picnic to a school event or even a religious event, and that makes the symbolism even more evil, just like townspeople. The townspeople symbolize evil, but they also symbolize the indifference of a society that allows something like this to occur and continue. Jackson notes, "Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones" (Jackson). Indifferent to the suffering of the victim, they gather their rocks to stone Tessie Hutchinson with near glee, when the day before they were gossiping about neighborhood events.

The symbolism of this story is frightening because the villagers all seem so normal, just like the person who lives next door to you. Current events, such as the child molester caught after his face appeared on the "Oprah Winfrey" show indicate that the person next door is not always who they seem. In this town, the person next door could be the participant one year and the victim the next, and that makes the symbolism frightening and very up-to-date at the same time. As a society, we seem to have grown more apart from our neighbors, our fellow residents, and even our fellow citizens. We shut ourselves off from people and live in our own "cocoons," and this story symbolizes the very worst parts of this society that shuts itself off from others. Only in a society that is enshrined in tradition without any reason for it, and a society that shuts itself off from others could something like the "lottery" occur. That the people have allowed it to continue "just because" shows their inhumanity, their inability to change, and their lack of commitment to others. All of these items symbolize what is going wrong with our society today, and what is wrong with humankind.

The symbolism that the lottery is traditional is also quite important to the story. There is a general feeling in society of "that's the way it's always been done," which leads society to fear change and innovation. Jackson shows this need to hang on to tradition at all costs with the old man who symbolizes the "old school." She writes, "Old Man Warner snorted. 'Pack of crazy fools,' he said. 'Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live hat way for a while'" (Jackson). Old Man Warner is steeped in tradition, even if the tradition is wrong or outmoded. He symbolizes the part of society that refused to change or adapt, no matter what. This also symbolizes how society is so intent on ritual that it may continue rituals that no longer have a purpose or a meaning, simply to continue the tradition. Old Man Warner continues, "Used to be a saying about "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon." First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery,' he added petulantly" (Jackson). This symbolizes a society that is so stuck in tradition that it cannot see the way to change or grow. There is no longer any need for the lottery, but the townspeople cannot give it up, and this symbolizes a stagnant and frightening society.

The neighbors in this story again symbolize the dark nature that hides in all of us. This is the side of us that loot their own neighborhoods after a natural disaster in New Orleans, and will rob even the person next door if our own survival depends on it. It symbolizes the desperation of humans, but how we can turn on each other in an instant, just like animals, too. This is the animalistic nature of our race. Jackson writes, "All right, folks.' Mr. Summers said. 'Let's finish quickly'" (Jackson). This symbolizes a mob of animals that can turn on someone they were just joking with, kill her, and then head home for "noon dinner." While the reader likes to think they are very different from the townspeople in the story, Jackson's symbolism shows that the people in the story represent any and all of us, and that we are just like that mob, we can turn ugly in a second and turn on anyone if the need arises. What makes the mob in the story even more frightening is that they turn on Tessie simply because of an archaic and evil tradition that they refuse to give up.

Finally, the symbolism of the story shows that a person will do anything when it comes to survival, and it shows the fear and the will that lives in all humans. Tessie will do anything to save her family. Just a few minutes before she was joking about being late for the drawing. Jackson writes, "Mrs. Hutchinson said, grinning, 'Wouldn't have me leave m'dishes in the sink, now, would you. Joe?,' and soft laughter ran through the crowd as the people stirred back into position after Mrs. Hutchinson's arrival" (Jackson). When Tessie is chosen, her attitude turns to one of survival. She is no longer joking, she is desperate, and she illustrates the very human trait of doing anything to survive. She shrieks, "It isn't fair, it isn't right,'" (Jackson), at the end of the story. Suddenly, her whole outlook has changed, because she is the one who has to die. When it was someone else, it was fine. Mrs. Hutchinson symbolizes yet another aspect of our society -- the one that refuses to speak out until our own way of life is threatened. She is the woman who does not want to get involved when she knows the neighbors are abusing their children, or the freeway bypass is going through another neighborhood. She is all of us who refuse to become involved in life until it is too late. She rebels against something that is clearly wrong only when it affects her.