Week 3 Discussion Response

Question 1

"The Lottery" is a short story written by Shirley Jackson, first published in 1948. The story's setting is established through a series of descriptive details and imagery. The story takes place in a small, unnamed village, "the people of the village began to gather in the square" (Jackson 192). The people are described as friendly and neighborly. The setting is described in detail, including the location of the village and the surrounding area.

The setting is also established through the use of imagery and symbolism. For example, the black box used in the lottery is described as splintered and faded, "the black box grew shabbier each year; by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color" (Jackson 193). This creates a sense of tradition and age that is a part of the village and suggests that the tradition is old and worn. The box is used as a symbol to represent the lottery tradition, which is an important part of the village's history but also has a darker side.

Moreover, the village itself is symbolic. It is a symbol of the dangers of blindly following tradition. The village is a small, closed community where everyone knows each other, yet the lottery is a tradition passed down for generations. Despite its deadly consequences, the villagers' willingness to participate in the lottery highlights their blind obedience to tradition.

The setting has advanced the tone of the story to be peaceful at the beginning and unsettling at the end of the story. The story begins with a peaceful village where "the flowers were blossoming profusely, and the grass was richly green," which creates a sense of normality (Jackson 192). However, this peaceful setting is later contrasted with the dark and violent events of the lottery, which creates a sense of unease and discomfort.

 

Work Cited

Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery.”  The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature, edited by Michael Meyer and D Quentin Miller, 12th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s 2020, pp. 192-197