Book Review of The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay

Shirley Jackson, the author, begins with a public gathering on a fine day. All the villagers gather in the square, waiting to draw their annual lots. I have been puzzled since the very beginning. Why do the boys fill their pockets with stones? Why are there piles of stones in the corner? What are they used for? As I went on, I kept wondering: why do people appear so serious and nervous? The lottery seems so unusual that it has a special impact on all the people presented. Having finished the story, I suddenly came to realize that the lottery is indeed unusual. It does have something to do with gambling except that the prize is not money, but a persons life! There does be a crowd, but they dont congratulate the winner, but stone him to†¦show more content†¦It is really disgusting for a mother to utter those words. Where is her conscience as a mother? Bill Hutchinson forces his wife to unfold the deadly paper and then stands by, completely indifferent. Where is his love as a h usband? Someone talks about the neighborhoods abolishment of the lottery, but is absolutely vetoed by the seemingly authority. Then there has been no further objection at all. Where is their sense as human beings on earth? Finally the woman is dead. She is stoned to death by her village fellows, including her dear husband and son. So sarcastic. Peoples fanaticism to the lottery robs them of their conscience, their love, and even their sense. The movie is even more shocking. However, different approaches, the same revelation. Jason go back to where his father used to live, trying to fulfill the old mans last wish to be buried with his dear wife. Everyone appears to be strange and hostile to him except a young, enthusiastic girl, Felice. They fall in love with each other, as romance goes. I have thought that the two of them may fight together against the barbaric custom and finally break it all. To my great disappointment, Felice tells Jason nothing about the ignorance of people in the village, she tells Jason nothing when she finds that her mother has secretly discarded the bone ash of Jasons father, and at last she tells nothing to the policeman to whom Jason has turned for help. It made me feel sickShow MoreRelatedHuman Corruption Of Human Nature1140 Words   |  5 PagesHuman Corruption in â€Å"The Lottery† â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson is a classic short story in U.S literature. Written in 1948, the short story has been published in multiple languages around the world. It is still a required reading in U.S today. The story was later adapted into both a TV short and a play (â€Å"Shirley Jackson’s Bio†). Jackson uses irony and symbolism in â€Å"The Lottery† to show the corruption of human nature. The story opens up on a clear June day. It continues to describe an ominousRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson919 Words   |  4 Pages A story that really stood out to me was â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson. This short story is really different from any story that I have read and it is very unique. â€Å"The Lottery† is about a small town that follows a strong tradition called the lottery. The lottery is when the whole town gets together and they all put their family name in a black box, then every family has to choose one from the box. Whoever pulls out a black dot gets stoned by everyone in the whole town. The theme to this storyRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesWhen most people play the lottery today, they think about having wealth. Generally, people who win are happy about it whether they win one dollar or a million. The lottery in our society has grown to support education and it is often worth several million dollars. 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Her universityRead MoreShirley Jackson Biography Essay1117 Words   |  5 PagesShirley Jackson was born on December 14, 1916 in San Francisco, California. She was the daughter of Leslie Hardie (President of Stecher-Traung Lithograph,Inc.) and Geraldine Bugbee Jackson. Miss Jackson attended the University of Rochester from 1934 to 1936. She graduated with a BA from Syracuse University in 1940. Shortly after graduating, she married Stanley Edgar Hyman, who was a literary critic and was on the faculty of Bennington college.. They moved to Vermont and had four children togetherRead MoreExpect the Unexpected1898 Words   |  8 PagesExpect the Unexpected What thoughts come to mind when you think of â€Å"The Lottery?† Positive thoughts including money, a new home, excitement, and happiness are all associated with the lottery in most cases. However, this is not the case in Shirley Jackson’s short story, â€Å"The Lottery†. 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