The Lottery takes place on a beautiful summer day in a small town. Although the location of the town, is never given, it appears to be in a rural community. The story begin as a regural summer day, but has a surising ending. In the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson there are three smbols Tessie Hutchinson, Old Man Warner, and the black box.
In the story Tessie Hutchinson first appears to have a carefree attitude. Tessie arrives late to the lottery and jokes about it with Mr. Summers told Tessie, "Thought we were going to have to to get on without you." Tessie stats backs, "Wouldn't have me leave my dishes in the sink now wouls you Joe." After Tessie and Mr. Summers finish joking Mr. Summers started the lottery, and the men all waited on their names to be call, so they could draw a pice of paper from the box. When Bill Hutchinson steps forward and pulls a piece of paper from the box; Tessie encougar him by saying "Get up there Bill" not knowing the end reults that lies ahead for her family and herself. Once everyday pulled and opened the paper it was said by several pepole that Bill has the dot. That is when Tessie changed and become a dynamic charcter. "It wasn't fair," that is the first thing Tessie says and then Ms. Delacroix says,"be a good spot Tessie." As the lottery goes on Tessie wants to puts Eva and Don in the drawing." Daughters draw with their husbands' family Tessie," Mr. Summers said gently. "You Know that as will as anyone else"(50). There are three child Bill Jr., Nancy, Dave, and Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson all drew from the box. Later after opening the paper it was said that Tessie had the black dot ,which led to her begin stone to death.
Old Man Warner symbolism tradition. He is the oldest person in the village, and the lottery was going on before he was born. "Seventy seven years seventy seven times I've been in the lottery" (Lit.). Old Man Warner, the only one who seems to recall the the seriousness of the occasion, complanies that Mr. Summers jokes with everybody"(Jackson 45) Everybody now in the village do the lottery because it is tradition, and it has been going on for yearss. However, nobody remembers why it was started in the begin. The villagers have all lost sight and the ture meaning of the lottery. "They do focus, however, on its gruesome rather than its symbolic nature, for they "still remember to use stones" even after they have "forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box." (Jackson 45). This shows that the villagers now do the lottery as a rotunie or something that is always done in June. "Although civilzed people may no longer hold lotteries, Jackson's story illlustrates that socitey tendency toward violence ans its tendency to hold onto tradition, even meaningsless, basc tradition, reveal our need for both ritual and belonging."
The black box symbolsm deaths in the story. The box is what is use to hold the paper the men pull from. The oringal box was built by the first set of the villagers. The box now is not even completely black, it has been repaired several times by over the years.
What is your question?
"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is a short story that takes place in a small town on a summer day. The story revolves around three symbols: Tessie Hutchinson, Old Man Warner, and the black box.
Tessie Hutchinson is a character who initially appears to have a carefree attitude. She arrives late to the lottery and jokes about it with Mr. Summers, the person in charge of conducting the lottery. However, when her husband Bill pulls a paper from the box with a dot on it (hinting at a grim fate), Tessie's attitude changes. She protests that the lottery wasn't fair and suggests that her married daughters should also participate. Tessie becomes a dynamic character as she realizes the horrifying truth behind the lottery and ultimately meets a tragic end.
Old Man Warner symbolizes tradition in the story. He is the oldest person in the village and has participated in the lottery for 77 years. He complains about Mr. Summers joking with everyone and represents the blind adherence to tradition without questioning its purpose or meaning. The villagers have forgotten the true origins of the lottery but continue to follow it as a mindless routine. This symbolism highlights society's tendency to hold onto traditions, even if they are meaningless or outdated.
The black box symbolizes death in the story. It is used to hold the papers that the villagers draw from. The original box was built by the first villagers, and the current one is old and repaired multiple times. The black box represents the dark and ominous nature of the lottery. It has become a symbol of the villagers' acceptance of violence and death as a part of their tradition.
Overall, these symbols in "The Lottery" help convey the themes of blindly following tradition, the potential for violence in society, and the need for ritual and belonging.