Hidden Symbols in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson - 1170 Words

Symbolism has been scraping the surface of literature for many years, but you probably don’t notice them, unless you really dig deep behind the text. Symbolism can be anywhere from the diverse objects around your room that represent a certain time, to the books of literature you read in school. Symbolism is an object, which represents something else. For example, in the short story, â€Å"The Lottery†, Mrs. Hutchinson got picked for the lottery. The word â€Å"hutch† is another word for box, and she happened to have her life taken from her by a paper in a box. The odd, short story of â€Å"the Lottery† is a story that should be read by many people for any urge to find symbolic references or to just kick back and read an interesting story with a twist.†¦show more content†¦The odd part is that she is a symbol of what took her life, the black box. The term â€Å"hutch† is â€Å"a term for a chest or a compartment for storage†. Mrs. Hut chinson’s name in all reality in the story washer fate. The box from what she was chosen, is the same one that chooses her for the scapegoat. Mrs. Hutchinson was a foreshadow for who was going to get chosen for the scapegoat, therefore, she is a symbol of the black box. The black box is a beaten up box that has been around for decades, and through an enormous amount of lotteries. The black box is a way of life for the villager, being the tradition for many years. The black box would be another clear symbol for tradition. The box has never left and has been kept for so long and the villagers of the town are â€Å"unwilling to replace it† (Symbols: The Black Box). Mr. Summers himself, as the conductor of the lottery, recommended to change the Munoz5 box and replace it, but everyone disagreed and decided to keep the one and only, traditional black box. As of the box being a traditional figure and a way of life, the black box is also a negative thing. The box is a terrible symbol of complete evil. The black box is a very obvious symbol of pure evil. This object is evil because god is not taking the life of any one in the village, but the box doing his work because in this village it â€Å"holds the key between life and death for every single one of the town’s people† (Martin MA).Show MoreRelatedLottery Essay Symbolism1249 Words   |  5 Pagesthings by symbols, or of investing in things with a symbolic meaning or character (â€Å"Symbolism†). Examples of symbolism are: an eagle representing freedom, a dove representing peace, and the color green can symbolize the feeling of envy. The following pieces of literature, â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, â€Å"We Wear the Mask† by Paul Laurence, â€Å"Richard Cory† by Edwin Arlington Robinson, and â€Å"Mirror† by Sylvia Plath are all poems that use symbolism. The story â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson narratesRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson931 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1948 Shirley Jackson composed the controversial short story â€Å"The Lottery.† Generally speaking, a title such as â€Å"The Lottery† is usually affiliated with an optimistic outlook. However, Jackson’s approach is quite unorthodox and will surely leave readers contemplating the intent of her content. The story exposes a crude, senseless lottery system in which random villagers are murdered amongst their peers. Essentially, the lottery system counteracts as a form of population control, but negatives easilyRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson972 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, is a short story about an annual lottery draw in a small New England town. The town’s people have performed the lottery for more than seventy years. Shirley Jackson gives â€Å"The Lottery† a whole different meaning . The lottery is used for a public stoning, opposing to the very first thing that approaches to a reader s mind when they think of the lottery; a big amount of money . The reader sees both literal and metaphorical meaning of the Shirley Jackson’s short storyRead MoreSymbolism Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson926 Words   |  4 Pagesimpact. Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery† contains symbolism to affect the readers’ feelings as well as add interest. The story begins with the villagers gathering at the square to participate in the lottery. The villagers chat while waiting for the event to begin. After Mr. Summers comes with a black box, he stirs the pieces of paper in the box. The narrators describe the lottery as an old ritual that the community continues to respect. Once Tessie Hutchinson arrives, the lottery startsRead MoreThe Rocking Horse Winner By F. H. Lawrence, And The Lottery1155 Words   |  5 Pagesthe hidden theme in thi s short story, which is the absence of love that prompt the quest for cash and material wealth, or greed, and will eventually obliterate happiness and prompt inevitable defeat. In The Lottery, the author uses its setting and irony to show the theme, which is violence and cruelty towards another human being shows there is a lack of love in the community. In The Rocking-Horse Winner, by D. H. Lawrence, and The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, the two makers represent symbols andRead MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson1380 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† Would it feel good to the win the lottery? When people win the lottery, they are filled with excitement and joy, but this lottery is one that people would rather have no chance of winning. In Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery† the members of a small town gather each year to hold a special event to see what â€Å"lucky† towns member will win the annual lottery. Each year the families of the town meet in the square and the head of each household draws a slip of paper to determineRead MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson And The Yellow Wallpaper1302 Words   |  6 Pages Reading The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman make the reader so passionate to know what is going to happen next because they are two of the most expressive and meaningful stories that have lots of great deep meanings. These stories share so many similarities when it comes to symbols, themes, and conflicts. Although The Lottery and The Yellow Wallpaper do not have the same plot, their themes have some similarities like following unfair traditionsRead MoreFiction Essay - Young Goodman Brown and the Lottery1051 Words   |  5 PagesFICTION ESSAY WRITING STYLE USED: APA OUTLINE I. THESIS: A thorough analysis of Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† and Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† reveals that different literary elements, such as tone and setting, are used to convey the characters’ arrival at dark, sinister places. II. INTRODUCTION III. SHIRLEY JACKSON’S â€Å"THE LOTTERY† A. Setting the tone: Peaceful and relaxing B. Irony: Even though the mood is relaxing, there is a premonition of something bad toRead MoreEssay about A Rose for Emily vs the Lottery940 Words   |  4 Pages There are many ways that a reader can be prepared for the ending of a story, â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"A Rose for Emily† are two very grueling short stories with a long suspense and a similar plot. The narrator’s stance in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† was first-person observer, which is defined as a single character point of view in which the narrator was is not involved with the story and the narrator’s stance in â€Å"The Lottery† was third-person anonymous which is involves a narrator that does not enter any mindsRead MoreA Rose for Emily, A Worn Path, and The Lottery1175 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"A Rose for Emily,† â€Å"A Worn Path,† and â€Å"The Lottery† by William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, and Shirley Jackson all have similar writing styles in the ir literature. In these three short stories the authors all use contrasting nature within their literature to predict the outcome and to learn for the upcoming events in the readings. The authors take subliminal phrases and subliminal symbolic text to have the reader become more attached and understand more of what the characters, setting and theme of the

Analysis Of The Book The Stranger By Albert Camus

Natalie Comella â€Å"The Outsider† Introduction â€Å"Life has to be given a meaning because of the obvious fact that it has no meaning.† Henry Miller â€Å"The outsider† also commonly known as â€Å"The Stranger† is written by Albert Camus. It is a book that explores the many concepts, understandings and overall idea of human life. As my group and I take time to break down the varies aspects of the book, please take time to reflect, and understand your own meaning of human life. Symbols Symbolism is often used to represent something of a close association or resemblance to an object or thing. In the outsider the symbols present aren’t really obvious, they are things that you put together as the book goes along. The first and most important symbol in the book is the sun. It is often seen to be a symbol of life, power, strength and energy. But in the outsider is used to symbolize something else. The sun is the indicator to Meursault’s emotions and actions. He is constantly referring to the sun and using it in a way to express how he is feeling. â€Å"And what with the sun and the smell of leather and horse-dung from the hearse, and the smell of vanish and incense and the sleepless night I’d had, I was so tired that I could hardly see or think straight.† (Chapter one, Part one pg. 21) Meursault uses the sun as one of his excuses to his disinterest and so called tiredness at his mother’s funeral. Again when the murder of the Arab occurred he mentionsShow MoreRelated Albert The Absurd Camus Essay1071 Words   |  5 PagesAlbert The Absurd Camus â€Å"Albert Camus is one of the most likeable and approachable of the mid-twentieth-century French authors† (Brosman 10).This is quite a compliment for Camus, but most would agree. In France, Albert is known for his many books, two which have made the French best-sellers list. His works are often read and studied in French secondary-school class rooms, introducing a countless number of students to his pieces each year. Camus also holds the high honor of receiving the NobelRead More The Stranger Essay1301 Words   |  6 PagesWhile reading The Stranger I noticed that traits that Albert Camus character depicts in the book are closely related to the theories of Sigmund Freud on moral human behavior. Albert Camus portrays his character of Meursault as a numb, emotionless person that seems to mindlessly play out his role in society, acting in a manner that he sees as the way he’s supposed to act, always living in the moment with his instincts driving him, and if the right circumstance presents itself the primal deep seededRead More Absurdity in Albert Camus’ The Stranger Essay2431 Words   |  10 Pagesthese definitions are hard to interpret and for the most part are not how Camus viewed the word absurd. Camus gives his interpretation of absurd in his book The Myth of Sisyphus, which is the point at which man realizes that all the struggles that we put forth in a repeated daily cycle are in all actuality completely meaningless (Woelfel 44). In James W. Woelfel’s book, Camus: A Theological Perspective, he gives us Camus point of absurdity in detail, I have said that the world is not absurdRead MoreTitle and Character Analysis of The Stranger by Albert Camus784 Words   |  3 PagesThe Stranger: Character and Title Analysis In Albert Camus’, The Stranger, the characters in the novel are individually unique in ways that bring out the positive and negative aspects of each other. When examining their traits you get the deeper meaning of things and what they stand for. The major characters in this novel are Meursault, Raymond Sintes, and Marie Cardona. Meursault shows no emotion through everything that goes on in his life such as a death. Raymond Sintes is a rude person and onlyRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Stranger 2900 Words   |  12 Pages Curtis Poindexter Professor Slattum English M01B 11 December 2014 Literary Analysis: The Stranger The novel The Stranger is a first-person account of the life of M. Meursault from the time of his mother s death up to a time evidently just before his execution for the murder of an Arab. It was written by Albert Camus in 1942. Meursault however, is not your typical hero of a story; rather an antihero. He is neither good nor bad, and harbors no emotion. He goes through his life with a preconceivedRead MoreEssay On The Stranger1010 Words   |  5 Pages The Stranger Essay The Stranger by Albert Camus is an analysis of the human psychosis if it was isolated and apathetic. Throughout the story, our protagonist, Meursault, tells the story of his life after his mother’s death and his experiences with everyday routines. Meursault explains to the reader only the surface of what he is feeling; despite that, as a reader, one is able to view his mind directly and closely. Meursault has all the power in this book because it is his life and mind. He is ableRead MoreThe Stranger: Analysis1837 Words   |  8 PagesThe Stranger: Analysis Author: Albert Camus Pierre Palmer English II. Period #5 Date: 10/4/9 copyright, by Pierre Palmer I. Biographical Insights A. Albert Camus cultures consist of being a novelist, literature and short story writer of many books. He wrote an essay on the state of Muslims in Algeria, causing him to lose his job and he moved to Paris. Albert Camus also joined the French resistance against the Nazis and became an editor of Combat, an underground newspaper. He was dissatisfiedRead MoreThe Stranger By Albert Camus1365 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout The Stranger, Albert Camus uses routinesituations to demonstrate how the protagonist, Meursault is not just another ordinary individual. Camus depicts Meursault as an independent being, disinterested in his surroundings, contrasting him with the majority of his peers. Meursault traverses the entire novel, exhibiting little to no emotion. Instead, he displayscharacteristics synonymous to someone suffering from psychopathy. Regardless of the situation, Meursault refrainsfrom assigning meaningRead MoreThe Paper of the Absurd: a Literary Analysis of the Stranger1772 Words   |  8 PagesThe Paper of the Absurd: A Literary Analysis of The Stranger By: Michael Lovett Advanced Placement English Language and Compositions 5th Period 13th of December, 2010 Michael Lovett In Albert Camus’ existential novel The Stranger, the pointlessness of life and existence is exposed and expounded upon in such a manner that the entire foundation of spirituality is shaken. The concept that drives this novel is one coined by Albert Camus himself, the â€Å"absurd†. Under the absurd, life is pointlessRead MoreCrime and Punishment vs. The Stranger1438 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the novels Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky and The Stranger by Albert Camus, sun, heat, and light play a significant role in the development and understanding of the novel and the characters in it. Upon the initial reading of The Stranger, the reader may have a general acknowledgment of a relationship between the novel’s protagonist, Mersault, and the sun and heat, either proceeding or following one of the novels significant events. What is harder to understand on the first read

Individual vs society free essay sample

A society is made up of many different individuals who will stand by their own beliefs. An individual is a single human being that is distant from a group or class. Individuals are usually narrow minded, only believing in what they think is right. Many times; however, society overpowers an individuals thoughts just because there are more people in a society. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, society vs. the individual plays a major role during the Salem witch trials. When the antagonist, Abigail Williams starts a dilemma in the community and ultimately ruins peoples lives, and futures, many of the characters have to decide which side they should be on, even it means that theyre going against their Puritan religion. John Proctor is set on revealing Abigails real reason of creating these trials, even if his reputation is at stake. Even though the individual and society tug at each other throughout this play, society prevails over the individual in the end because the beliefs of the individuals cannot over-power the stronger voices of the public. A society consists of many people with many ideas, while an individual is only a single person. This makes it easy for Abigail Williams to pursue her accusations of witch craft with the other girls, Tituba, Mary, Ruth, and Betty, along side. As Abigail is accused of drinking a charm to kill Goody Proctor, she begins to blame it on Tituba for forcing her do it every night. In the beginning of the book, no one wants to believe in the devil because of their Puritan religion, until Harris comes into town and declares the truth about witch craft. The lies from Abigail, Ruth, Mary, Betty and Tituba begin to grow bigger, and bigger. I danced for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil†¦ (48), says Abigail as Tituba reveals that the Devil has come upon her as well. Society now believes in witch craft because of vengeful teenage girls, who are accusing people in the community for their own arrogant reasons. In the beginning of the book, the individuals who dont believe in witchcraft stay quiet and keep their thoughts to themselves because they dont want to be blamed. Society dominates majorly in the beginning scene, but as you get through the book, individuals start to stand up, creating a greater number of problems. As the Proctors find out about their servant, who is now along side Abigail, they start to think about declaring to the court that the girls are faking it. Mary Warren, Abigails side kick is one of the officials of the court (52), meaning she tells the court who is under the power of the Devil or not. Elizabeth and John dont believe in anything that is going on; however, they try to talk to Mary Warren, but she doesnt want to hear their advice about departing from the court. I must go to Salem, Goody Proctor! (52), Mary says in a harsh tone. Elizabeth couldnt stop her (52). This scene shows that society is taking over and becoming more powerful. The society in Salem is taking away people and making them strongly believe in this witch craft. Individuals like John and Elizabeth get more furious as the book continues because their own servant is not listening to them anymore. Tensions are beginning to grow and outbursts are ready to be made by certain people. John Proctor, the main individualist finally confronts Mary, yelling at her to stop doing what she is doing. John starts by saying, You will not go to court again, Mary Warren (58), but Mary tells him otherwise. Things start getting heated when he says, Ill whip the Devil out of you! (59). Nothing will stop Mary Warren from going back to court because society has taken over the individual. There is too much evidence now to deny it, (64), says Hale. People are now falsely accusing other people of dancing with the Devil for reasons relating to themselves and the relationships with the people they are accusing. The town is getting chaotic, and the individuals are running out of time to control it. The final stages of society taking over completely begins with Abigail accusing Elizabeth Proctor of dancing with the Devil. At dinner Abigail falls to the floor†¦ and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear†¦ stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out†¦she testify it were your wifes familiar spirit pushed it in (74), says Cheever to Proctor about Elizabeth. The most individualistic people in the community are getting accused because of Abigail wanting revenge on the wife of a man she loves. As they pull a needle out of the stomach of a puppet that was  found in the Proctors house, Mary Warren is forced to tell the truth by Proctor and say it was hers. Mary is forced to turn to the individual side with John and Elizabeth; however, she is not only outnumbered , but terrorized by Abigail, the rest of the girls, and the thoughts of society when Abigail accuses her of being a witch. Even Danforth obeys Abigail when she threatens him for doubting her because he needs to stay apart of the society to keep his reputation high. Every individualist in this book dies or is put in jail by the end because they do not believe in witch craft and deny to society and themselves of being witches. Giles is dead (135). Giles died because he rose against witch craft and didnt want society to take advantage of him and his faith to the Puritan religion. Rebecca†¦is one foot in heaven now (134). Rebecca is hanged because she tried to overpower society as well. Proctor was the last to persuade society to go against the girls who started the witch craft hysteria, but eventually the drumroll strikes the air (145), and he is hanged as well. Although people in Salem died with dignity, they still died and were not around to see any changes made. The teenage girls took over society and consumed the entire village of lies made up when they were bored one day. They were the voices of the community, and nothing was going to get in their way. Even though the individuals tried to prevail and get people on their side with their strong opinions, nothing could turn around the idea of witchcraft. Society over all is stronger because one individual cannot overpower a community, it takes many people to do the job, and thats exactly what happened in The Crucible; society prevailed.