The Lottery by: Shirley Jackson - Research Paper Example

Firebrand “The Lottery” is a depressing story. The villagers are portrayed as sheep who are waiting to eventually be slaughtered. The children are brainwashed into a form of thinking which at the end victimizes their neighbors. The children are anxious to be free from the constraints of school as demonstrated: “and the feeling of liberty laid uneasy on them they tended to gather together before they broke into boisterous play and their task was that of the classroom” - (Jackson, 2005: 291).

They children seem to feel as if they dont deserve to be free. The children demonstrate a restraint which is uncharacteristic of children. The story demonstrates that their minds are preoccupied with the effects of work and reproof that they receive in school. This story almost worships punishment and the human sacrifice. It is noted that “Bobby filled his pocket with stones..” - (Jackson, 2005: 291).and all of the other little boys around him imitate his actions. There is the effect of ritualistic sacrifice as in the beginning of the story Bobby Martin, Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix demonstrate.

These boys hoard the rocks and value them, as if the responsibility of fulfilling the lottery gives them great joy. In the time and the context that this is written, Shirley Jackson received criticism for having portrayed young boys with such eagerness to cast stones at their neighbors. It is imaginable that in the time and context that this book is written, Shirley Jackson receives a heavy public criticism. In the beginning of the Cold War era, following the Nazi holocaust , this book draws criticism from the far right and the far left side of the political spectrum.

As she writes this story, Nazism and its horrors are in the process of being healed from the terrible effects that is has on the American public and those of Jewish descent. In the time of this writing, mankind is divided into sects, it would be unthinkable to throw stones at the neighbor. It is more likely that those on either side of the Iron curtain would throw stones at each other. As an American female writer, Shirley Jackson understands the significance of throwing stones at the neighbor.

Yet she makes fun of ritualistic sacrifice it in this book. Notwithstanding, she makes human sacrifice ritualistic. This book is written right after World War II. (neatorama.com) and the horrors that Americans are recuperating from are still fresh. Surely the images of such a dreadful war are still engraved in the publics psyche. This is demonstrated: “The lottery was conducted as were the square dances the teen club and the Halloween programs by-- Mr. Summers, who had the time and energy to devote to such activities” - (Jackson, 2005: 292).

The lottery is perceived by the villagers as a civic activity. It is accepted by those who conduct it that someone, somewhere along the way will eventually have to be stoned. As stoning is a Semitic tradition, this is traumatic for many who are in her reading audiences. Stoning is done for many offenses in the Holy Bible, none of them are as innocent as participating in civic activity. In this story, the lottery is a tradition, although some of the part of that tradition are lost in time. The rituals of the tradition and the patriarchal society that it mocks are demonstrated: “All right, Mr.

Summers said. “Open the papers, Harry, you open little Daves “ - (Jackson, 2005: 300).Some of the traditions which the lottery is conceived with are lost through time. The story illustrates that the civic responsibility came with an eagerness and a blood thirst In the final part of the short story this blood thirst is demonstrated: “Its Tessie”, Mr. summers said and his voice was hushed. “Show us her paper Bill” - (Jackson, 2005: 301). “All right, folks” Mr. Summer said. “Lets finish quickly” - (Jackson, 2005: 301).

“although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones” - (Jackson, 2005: 201).The rituals of saluting and the use of the original black box are forgotten, the sadistic effect of throwing stones is not. This is a political and social statement, whereas the villagers are ready to draw the blood of their neighbor. Again in the context that it is written, Shirley Jackson has to draw criticism from the general public. The public is accustomed to human sacrifice, after having triumphed at great human cost in World War II.

Only in the stories of GIs returning from the European theaters of war does the sacrifice of ones neighbor in contemporary times have such parallel (Celania, 2011).Works Cited Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery and other stories 2005, Farrar, Straus and Giroux Celania, Miss. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. Neatorama.com, April 4, 2011. Web. “A Reading of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery” home.netwood.net, n.d. Web