Exposing Traditions Disturbing Grip: Symbols in The Lottery

Abstract

[Name] "[Author]" is a short story by Shirley Jackson about a small town in the contemporary United States. An annual rite commonly known as the lottery is carried out whereby a member of this particular community is selected by chance. Jackson has used symbolism in the short story to add meaning to the story using events and objects to represent other things. This essay aims to discuss three symbols that the author has used to create awareness to the reader about the meaningless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. The first symbol that the author has used is the title and the focus of the whole event, the lottery. The lottery is a tradition that has been taking place in this particular community, and no one has ever dared to question. The lottery acts as an example of what happens when traditions are not questioned or addressed by the new generations. The lottery could represent the government as it is in the modern world. People meet after some time to engage in a national exercise like voting, just like this particular community met for the lottery. First, just like in the voting, the lottery stipulated that some guidelines had to be followed and obeyed at all costs (Jackson, 9). Some of these exercises are well articulated by individuals who want to remain in power and brainwash others to engage in exercises that benefit just but a few (Hakaraia, 96-98). The leaders develop rules and regulations regarding exercises like voting and expect people to follow them without questions. Some of these acts have left the people on the low standards suffering, whereas these leaders are untouchables. From the story, it is evident that Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves were immune to the lottery process, and they had to make sure that the whole process ought to be carried out as per the traditions, and no one would raise a question to that. Mr. Graves is the extravagant event leader who does not play a significant part in the story but presides over people (Jackson, 48). He has the postmaster's powers in the town, who gives Mr. Summers authority to conduct the lottery. Like in modern society, the leaders call shots at all the evil doings knowing that they are immune and protected. Without leaders like Mr. Graves, there would be a lottery and no deaths in society (Ramadhayan, 13-15). In support of this, Mrs. Hutchinson started blaming other people when she was confronted with the hazard a readily renounced the lottery exercise. On the other hand, instead of her husband defending her, he demanded to be silent and continued to do what was required and set for the lottery exercise regardless of the outcome's nature (Jackson, 80). In other words, the lottery exercise symbolizes a stupid tradition that benefits only a few and puts at risk the lives of the majority through brainwashing that all has to be done and no one should query. Another symbolism that the author has used is the use of stones. From the story, after Tessie Hutchinson's name was drawn in the lottery, the villagers prepare for a stoning process (Jackson, 288). From ancient times, stoning was a cruel method of murder that had been out-dated, and it is clear that the villagers want to engage in this out-dated practice. The stones represent the rigidity of this particular community to change. The community has engaged in a practice that uses chance upon which they gear up to religiously follow and use stones to kill victims that have been selected. The stones are a symbol of the violence that the villagers are all willing to engage in. At the beginning of the story, young boys gather stones that would be used to hurl at people, meaning that violence is premeditated (Jackson, 29-37). The villagers have been stuck...