The 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson is a very disturbing short story. One of the main themes is the blind following of tradition. The villagers seem to carry out the lottery without really thinking about its brutality. They are so used to it that they don't question it.
One key aspect to analyze in 'The Lottery' is the use of setting. The small, idyllic village at first seems like a normal, peaceful place. But as the story unfolds, this very setting becomes a place of horror. The annual lottery, which is deeply ingrained in the village's tradition, shows how blindly following traditions can lead to immoral actions. The characters, too, are important. They seem ordinary, like people we might know, yet they participate in this cruel lottery without much hesitation, which reflects on human nature's capacity for evil when following the herd.
The lottery itself can be seen as a symbol. It stands for the blind acceptance of authority and tradition in society. The villagers don't question the lottery's existence or its rules. They just follow it year after year, which symbolizes how people can be submissive to long - established but perhaps unjust systems.
The main theme is the danger of blindly following traditions. In the story, the lottery is a long - held tradition that the villagers participate in without really questioning its morality or purpose.
I found 'The Lottery' quite impactful. Shirley Jackson sets the scene in a small village where the lottery is a long - held tradition. The fact that it seems like a normal day with people chatting and kids playing makes the final outcome all the more horrifying. The lottery, which we assume is something positive like in our modern lotteries, is actually a death sentence for one of the villagers. It's a critique of blindly following traditions without questioning their morality. The story is short but packs a powerful punch in terms of making the reader reflect on society and human behavior.
It's significant because it shows the dark side of human nature. People in the story are willing to kill one of their own just because of a tradition. It makes us reflect on our own society and how we sometimes blindly follow things without thinking. For example, there might be some unfair social norms that we don't question just like the villagers in the story.
Shirley Jackson might have written 'The Lottery' to expose the dark side of human nature that often hides beneath the surface of seemingly normal communities. It could also have been a way for her to comment on the dangers of blindly following traditions without questioning them.
The story is often interpreted as a critique of blind tradition and the potential for collective violence lurking beneath the surface of a seemingly peaceful community.
The 'Lottery' is a shockingly powerful short story. It presents a seemingly ordinary small town where the annual lottery takes place. However, as the story unfolds, the true horror of this 'lottery' is revealed. The writing is simple yet effective in building up the tension. Jackson uses a matter - of - fact tone which makes the ending all the more disturbing. It makes the readers question the blind following of traditions and the capacity for ordinary people to commit atrocious acts.