The Inevitability of Choice in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Introduction

Shirley Jackson introduced a rather provocative perspective on social relationships, decision-making, and responsibility in her short story “The Lottery.” One of the strongest aspects of this work is the formulation of people’s attitudes toward a process. The author helps modern citizens realize how families from the same community do not consider the seriousness of the events until they face the outcomes directly.

Discussion

The decision to stone an individual to death as a part of a social routine seems odd and inhuman to my own experience. However, the main issue of the author is to understand that following traditions blindly and without questioning is wrong and unfair. As a responsible member of my community, I believe that Jackson’s story teaches me to compare options, think about outcomes, and realize that not everything should be taken for granted.

The ideas of the author do not distinguish between male or female and young or old readers. Jackson’s essence is that every member of society, regardless of their current demographic or social characteristics, can be similarly threatened by chance. In the story, I see this chance as symbolically but directly represented as a lottery. On the one hand, the core of the story is to make all people equal and have common chances. On the other hand, I get a terrible lesson that even the closest family members are powerless and cannot protect each other against the crowd’s opinion.

Conclusion

In general, the chosen text tries to convince the reader that community members are responsible for their quality of living and the conditions under which they make their decisions and contribute to progress or stagnation. I think that the author does not believe murder is an effective means of social order. She is trapped by the offered limitations, and her task is to deliver a message to the reader and predict similar mistakes and wrong decisions based on blind trust in the system and the government. From the point of prediction and comparison, Jackson’s approach is effective and clear to help me re-evaluate my position in society.

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StudyCorgi. (2024, February 14). The Inevitability of Choice in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. https://studycorgi.com/the-inevitability-of-choice-in-the-lottery-by-shirley-jackson/

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StudyCorgi. (2024) 'The Inevitability of Choice in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson'. 14 February.

1. StudyCorgi. "The Inevitability of Choice in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson." February 14, 2024. https://studycorgi.com/the-inevitability-of-choice-in-the-lottery-by-shirley-jackson/.


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StudyCorgi. "The Inevitability of Choice in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson." February 14, 2024. https://studycorgi.com/the-inevitability-of-choice-in-the-lottery-by-shirley-jackson/.

References

StudyCorgi. 2024. "The Inevitability of Choice in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson." February 14, 2024. https://studycorgi.com/the-inevitability-of-choice-in-the-lottery-by-shirley-jackson/.

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