" 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 the qualities she shows, not ridiculed for her faults. The film looks at human nature just as "The Lottery" does, but it does so in softer and gentler way (despite the darker context in which the narrative is situated). For example, as Katniss is being dressed for the Games, she says to Cinna, "So you're here to make me look pretty," with what is meant to be a sarcastic jab. Cinna replies with empathy and sympathy, "I'm here to help…...
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 reader comes to this realization, he/she can be struck by the hazard of premature conclusion on the interpretation of the story. No other writer other than Jackson could have more skillfully demonstrated the pitfalls of pattern recognition in medicine as discussed in the story (Lenemaja 1975). In addition, it manipulates through its text, which ultimately identifies with Mrs. Hutchinson's cry, "It isn't fair," due to which the resulting feelings of anger reproduce the ordinary feeling of anger at one own…...
Lottery and the Rocking Horse inner
An Analysis of "Luck" in "The Lottery" and "The Rocking Horse inner"
Both Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and DH Lawrence's "The Rocking Horse inner" 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 inner" and show how in both narratives there is something dark and malevolent at the heart.
"Luck" in Jackson's "The Lottery" is not quite what it seems, and at first the reader is led to believe that "winning" is something good. However, as the narrative approaches its conclusion and the sorrow of the "winner" becomes more and more pronounced, Mrs. Hutchinson's friends turn away from her as though she was cursed, and indeed Fate seems to be saying so. But why?
In a sense, the lottery…...
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Works Cited
Bloom, Harold. Shirley Jackson. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishing, 2001.
Print.
Clayton, John J. "DH Lawrence: Psychic Wholeness Through Rebirth." The
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 is a system by which a human sacrifice is chosen in each village. The purpose of the sacrifice, unlike those performed in Ancient cultures, is not clear in the story, and in fact it is not clear to the characters either. The Lottery is a tradition left over from many years ago, and although the original purpose has been forgotten, the ritual remains an annual event. Jackson uses the setting, symbols, and group mindset to present The Lottery as an…...
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 as a means of self-defense. During the voyage on the way to hunt jaguar, Rainsford and, his hunting companion, Whitney discuss their sport of hunting:
"The best sport in the world," agreed Rainsford.
"For the hunter," amended Whitney. "Not for the jaguar."
"Don't talk rot, Whitney," said Rainsford. "You're a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?"
"Perhaps the jaguar does," observed Whitney.
"Bah! They've no understanding."
"Even so, I rather think they understand one thing -- fear. The fear of pain…...
Later in the story, Rainsford becomes the hunted for the pleasure and thrill of General Zaroff. Rainsford is force to kill Zaroff in self-defense. The contrast between killing prey for the sport of it and killing for the purpose of self-defense poses the question of is Rainsford's killing of Zaroff a justifiable reason for murder.
Essay outline:
1. Introduction: Can murder be justified?
2. Does tradition justify the stoning in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery"?
a) The community
The community's interaction prior to the lottery
The community's interaction after the Hutchinson family is selected
The community's interaction with Tessie Hutchinson is selected
b) Is the tradition still relevant?
The traditions of the lottery
Those who cling to the tradition
Those who were questioning the tradition
3. Is hunting, no matter what the prey, justifiable?
a) Is hunting acceptable when the prey is an animal, such as Rainsford and Whitney's hunting of jaguar?
The complaint of Mrs. Hutchinson at the end of the story, "It isn't fair," could be called poetic justice: after all, she has taken part in "The Lottery" and now reaps what she has sown, recalling another Scriptural verse: "Judge not, lest ye be judged" (Matthew 7:1). The sinister authority in the village, however, will not allow for any reflection or consideration of this kind. As Jackson writes, "Old Man arner was saying, 'Come on, come on, everyone.' Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves beside him. 'It isn't fair, it isn't right,' Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her" (Jackson 228). The plight of Mrs. Hutchinson is all too common: a willing participant in the lottery up till now (when she was the one who had stones in her hands -- not the one being stoned), she realizes too…...
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Works Cited
Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery." Perrine's: Story and Structure. Boston, MA:
Lottery vs. The ocking-Horse Winner
In what ways are the two shorts stories by Shirley Jackson and DH Lawrence comparable and dissimilar?
In "The Lottery vs. The ocking-Horse Winner" there will be analysis of the differences and similarities in setting from a fictional perspective across the two short stories.
What are the settings in The Lottery and The ocking-Horse Winner?
Where do both stories take place?
When do both stories take place?
What comparisons and variances do these stories share, considering the time and location in which they take place?
What is the atmosphere within the world of the two stories?
Are the characters affected by anything within the setting?
What are the differences and similarity of atmosphere between The Lottery and The ocking-Horse Winner
Conclusion
A. Did the settings of the two stories yield better analysis of similarities and differences?
"The Lottery" and "The ocking-Horse Winner" are two wonderful short stories that both deal with the "darker" side of humanity.…...
Lottery" by Shirley Jackson has come to be considered one of the most representative short stories of the American literature, despite the fact that when initially published in the late 1940s in the "New Yorker" failed to receive positive reviews from both the writers' community as well as the readers of the magazine. However, today, its motifs, symbols and the plot are highly appreciated and are a reference point for the American literature of all times.
The success and impact of the short story relies heavily on the symbols and themes the short story uses in order to transmit the message to the audience. The initial reactions were negative as "modern man considers such practices barbaric and, therefore, alien to his civilized behavior. For this reason, many persons were puzzled and shocked by 'The Lottery'" (Bloom, 2001) The plot in itself is not extremely complex, but the way in which…...
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References
Bloom, Harold. Shirley Jackson. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001.
Tessie's rebellion, writes Kosenko, beings with her late arrival at the lottery, a faux pas that raises suspicions of her resistance to everything that the lottery stands for (Kosenko pp). By choosing Tessie Hutchinson as the lottery's victim and scapegoat, Jackson reveals the lottery to be an ideological mechanism that serves to defuse the average villager's deep, inarticulate dissatisfaction with the social order in which he lives by channeling it into anger directed at the victims of that social order (Kosenko pp).
Tessie's next social faux pas or unconscious act of rebellion comes when their name is drawn, and she says, "Get up there, Bill" (Jackson pp). Kosenko writes that in doing this, Tessie "inverts the power relation that holds in the village between husbands and wives...her remark evokes nervous laughter from the crowd, which sense the taboo that she has violated" (Kosenko pp). And then, according to Kosenko, Tessie's final…...
She is right in rebelling against her neighbors. The lottery is not fair, and even if it is traditional, it is cruel and frightening.
Tessie is also fearful and desperate, because she does not want to die. Jackson shows her fear and her desperation when she writes, "I think we ought to start over,' Mrs. Hutchinson said, as quietly as she could. 'I tell you it wasn't fair. You didn't give him time enough to choose. Everybody saw that'" (Jackson). She is grasping at straws, trying to make sure the town does the lottery over and someone else picks the fateful slip of papers. She is afraid, just as anyone would be. Jackson uses the story and this character to show fear and violence as it is in our society. It is very easy for one person to turn on another, even when they have lived their whole lives together.…...
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 protests that it is not fair when it is her own fate that is at stake, not when another person might be selected.
The character's in Jackson's town are named, and have more distinguishing characteristics than the vague protagonists of Omelas. But because they are so utterly unaware of the moral consequences of their actions, the reader does not feel much compassion towards them, unlike the residents of Omelas who understand that their basis of happiness is morally corrupt. The residents of Omelas are all forced, by the laws of their society, to acknowledge the horror, and some even go back willingly to see the suffering and ignored child, to remind themselves of the basis of their happiness.
Jackson's residents are also more recognizably American, and like the reader's own neighbors, which make the story more terrifying, but also makes the central contention of the town seem more outrageous…...
The town and the people are just like "you and me," and Jackson strives to make them appear that way, from the way the men talk about " planting and rain, tractors and taxes" (Jackson), to the way Mrs. Hutchinson hurries up late, wiping her hands on her apron after doing a batch of dishes. These people could be our neighbors, our friends, even our families. They are "normal" people in a small town, going about their everyday lives. This symbolism of normalcy is extremely important to the story, because it creates a false sense of security surrounding the town and in the reader. Surely, nothing bad could happen in this bucolic small town. However, something bad does happen, and the normalcy and serenity of the town makes it all the more appalling. These people could be your neighbors or friends, and that is frightening.
Evil pervades the story's last…...
California Lottery Case
State lotteries definitely let a lot of people down. Everyday, thousands put in their cash hoping to win big, but only a few do. State lotteries have thus long been a hotbed of controversy, as Carl Ingram shows in his 1999 article which posits that the California Lottery actually targets poor and working class players based on weak statistics that supposedly show a disproportionate amount of working class players compared to other economic classes. However, the article's argument is based more so on personal opinion than actual statistical facts, and thus the basic premise that the Lottery does specifically target working class poor is not validly proven.
Ingram's article examines the beliefs of a few high ranking California gambling officials in order to present the argument that the lottery does more damage than good. Essentially, the article is arguing that California Lottery statistics on the average income levels…...
Congratulations on your entry into grad school. Because of its astounding geography, the Grand Canyon would make a fascinating topic for your master’s thesis. Hopefully, you will have plenty of opportunities to visit it while you are in Arizona, though it looks like access is currently limited because of a combination of COVID-19 restrictions and normal winter access restrictions.
Geography is a fairly broad area of study and focusing on the Grand Canyon as an example of arid-land erosion is probably not the kind of through-provoking material that you want for a master’s thesis. Fortunately, its immense size....
"The Lottery," Shirley Jackson's chilling short story, has captivated readers since its publication in 1948. This essay will delve into the story's historical and sociological context, examining how it reflects the fears and anxieties of post-World War II America. Through a research-based analysis, we will explore the various interpretations of the story and its enduring significance in contemporary literature.
Ritual and Tradition
"The Lottery" centers around a yearly ritual in an unnamed village, where the community participates in a seemingly harmless lottery drawing. However, as the story progresses, the horrific nature of the ritual is revealed: the winner....
The Nadir of Birthday Titles: A Chronicle of Epic Fails
Birthdays, a time of celebration, joy, and well wishes, are often marked by thoughtful gestures and heartfelt sentiments. However, in the annals of birthday titles, there are some that stand out for their sheer awkwardness, insensitivity, or downright cringeworthiness. Here, we delve into the depths of embarrassment to explore the worst birthday titles that have ever graced the pages of greeting cards, social media posts, or verbal expressions.
1. "May Your Special Day Be As Meaningless As This Title"
This title is the epitome of birthday anti-cheer. It's like receiving a birthday gift....
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