The Allegorical Nature of The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson

Hit it! Hit it! Hit it! Don’t lose your aim, because if you lose it, you lose the way. A birthday party without a pià ±ata just doesnt seem to be a birthday party. Theres a joy that tiptoes up and takes over the whole party when the expectation of candy, the ability for young children to handle a bat and destroy something, and parents can mess with the little children. The element of danger and malice all in good fun is in the air and it makes a giddy happiness that is addictive to the point where they are giggling and laughing before they know they are or the reason why they are. Handling a bat blindfolded while laughing hysterically is a time that nobody should miss. In â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, things are done the way they have always been done, even if there is no reason why. Certain people remember where the rituals created, and certain people seem to know why they are important. Yet tradition is important, so they continue. â€Å"The Lottery† is an excellent example of an allegorical short story. Jackson uses symbolism through the description of the characters, significant objects, and the actions in the story. Consider two important symbols in the story—the box and the stool. The postmaster, Mr. Summers, followed by Mr. Graves, carried the three-legged stool and put it in the center of the square. He set the black box down on it. The old box is black. Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. Neither the box nor the stoolShow MoreRelatedA Feminist Perspective of The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay864 Words   |  4 Pages Shirley Jacksons The Lottery is an allegorical depiction of societys flaws and cruel principles and the effects they have on its citizens and more specifically, its women. The literal level of The Lottery illustrates a towns chilling tradition of a random selection of death by stoning of a certain person. Figuratively, however, one aspect of Jacksons short story bravely reveals the reality of societys control over women by placing on them expectations and limitations. Read MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson880 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† is a fictional short story written by Shirley Jackson is a that signifies the obeying rules and tradition, as well as being rebellious. This all suggests that their not so lucky â€Å"lottery† is a conventional ceremony. The story centers on a small town on the town’s day of their once-a-year Lottery. The significance of the town Lottery is to ensure their belief to sacrifice in order to be given a plethora of rain to obtain a good farming season the coming year. The story focuses around