The Lottery was written by Shirley Jackson in 1948 and contains many notable themes. It has an exciting plot that, simultaneously, can cause a contradictable sense of averse for the events that take place. It might be rational to suggest that The Lottery is significant and relevant to discuss. The reflections below will explore the depth of the story’s symbolism, as well as address the question of whether it may be considered actual nowadays.
The Lottery might be perceived as a short story that contains a considerable number of symbols. The primary prerequisite of this story seems to be a symbol almost for sure, and many of The Lottery’s elements represent a concept that Jackson aims to examine. The intersection and interdependence of the mentioned symbols make the plot so exciting and significant (Jackson, 1948). On the other hand, Jackson also complicates The Lottery by the fact that she does not provide precise answers to the readers’ questions that are likely to take place. The lack of these answers makes the audience rethink plenty of aspects and issues from the story many times.
As mentioned above, the essence of the lottery itself might be a clear symbol – it embodies several unarguable rituals and customs that are of society’s character. Jackson explores these aspects that, at first approximation, have no hidden sense and are being done because they have become a habit. The customs might be simple and plain but, meanwhile, may be filled with racism or sexism. The most demonstrative element that occurs in the plot is the lottery box. It is a kind of symbol for those living in the city because it is the only physical connection to the lottery’s origins. It should be stated that this box has been used so as the other ones – it is not an original. However, the residents assume that several parts of the latter were utilized for creating a new box (Jackson, 1948). Here, it seems apparent that any rational link with the original sense of this lottery is lost. Nevertheless, the loss has strengthened the custom as the absence of a reasonable understanding of a phenomenon establishes a solid connection with it, if repeated regularly – symbolism comes instead of rationality.
The approach to the execution by The Lottery’s end should not be understood as randomness as well. Stoning is among the most ancient and types of executions. There is not a single executioner – there are many of them; this is the reason why stoning was so popular in the past and why it is essential for The Lottery. It implies that not a single human takes responsibility for the execution. For the story and its core idea, this is vital as it indicates the enemy. The described approach cannot be efficient without the appropriate cooperation of the crowd. It supports the claim that The Lottery’s antagonist is not a man or woman but society as a whole.
Furthermore, it might be suggested that the story’s symbolism starts being more understandable, keeping in mind the fact that it was written in the US in 1948. This perception allows realizing plenty of motives why Jackson aspired to depict long-standing customs in such a manner – she shows their vile and inappropriacy (Jackson, 1948). The author might emphasize segregation, unfair voting, and other malapropos traditions that have not been eliminated yet – mostly due to the fact of their solid rooting with the flow of time. Often, these customs are hard to identify precisely, and such works as Jackson’s one contribute to shedding light on them.
What is more, the woman who fell for the lottery is also important. It might be assumed that this is also a symbol of those being oppressed and offended by men. The victim might embody the idea that women are being treated as weak and unprotected. This aspect clearly shows that The Lottery has a visible connection with the reality of the 21st century, in which this problem is still relevant and acute. Hence, the story’s symbolism cannot be considered outdated as it addresses several issues nowadays.
Finally, it seems that The Lottery is more likely to be a parable than a typical story. Societies have become mired in their traditions to such a significant extent so that they do not possess the ability to determine the reasons for these traditions anymore. People follow their customs blindly, even in case it does not stay in line with morality and ethics. Given the fact that this should be considered as a peril for civilized societies, The Lottery, again, remains pertinent today as it makes the readers search and realize the answers on their own because Jackson gives no direct ones.
To conclude, despite The Lottery being a short story, it contains plenty of issues to consider. The above reflections showed that there is a great extent of symbolic depth. Moreover, it is proved that the story is relevant as the core ideas reveal the flaws of society that have not been eliminated yet. Once the readers get acquainted with The Lottery, they get a wide range of aspects to think about.
Reference
Jackson, S. (1948). The Lottery [PDF document]. Web.