Lottery Essay Symbolism - 1249 Words

Symbolism Essay Symbolism is a sign that has been used by literary authors to represent a larger idea into another more specific concept or belief. Symbolism can be used to represent an action, an idea or a person’s archetype as well. The term symbolism is the practice of representing things 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†¦show more content†¦The stones symbolize unity of the town but also symbolizes a murder weapon. At the end of the story, it is surprising to see that someone is truly chosen to die through this lottery. A critic states, â€Å"The story shocks us because we do not like to admit a demonic side to our natures. The story suggests that basically we are beasts, ... that we can slip back to barbarism hardly batting an eye (Evans). Concerning this quote, all of the people of the town are so fixated on this tradition that they cannot even see the madness in what they are doing. Every year each family is eager to participate. The society represents an example of naturalism. Furthermore, in â€Å"We Wear the Mask†, Paul Laurence talks about the different ways all types of feelings and emotions can be hidden. Every person in the world has some sort of hidden struggle or triumph. A mask is used to hide what everyone wants kept in the dark. A mask symbolizes protection and disguise. In fact, Laurence states, â€Å"We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes† (Line 1). Through the quote, the author explains that no matter what people portray to the world, a mask covers what truly lies within. Sometimes others have an understandable explanation for the front they put up. A critic suggests, â€Å"This debt we pay to human guile; / With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, / And mouth with myriad subtleties† (â€Å"Explanation of: We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar). The meaning of thisShow MoreRelatedThe Lottery Symbolism Essay908 Words   |  4 PagesAll around the world today thousands of people di e from murder and the numbers increase every year. Our world is filled with violence and tragedies that keep increasing, just like in, Shirley Jacksons story â€Å"The Lottery.† The characters in a small village choose someone to stone to death each year because of tradition. As this tradition continues, more and more people die as time passes. All of the towns folk grow more and more nervous, hoping not to get picked. They gather in the town square toRead MoreThe Lottery Symbolism Essay992 Words   |  4 Pagesof The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is simply trying to understand what the symbols in the story mean. These symbols included the lottery, the tools used in the lottery and even the people of the town. Within the first few lines of Shirley Jackson described a picture of a clear, sunny, fresh and warm summer day. She continues this sense of comfort by adding small children playing after being released from school for the summer, and the townspeople gathering calmly for the annual â€Å"Lottery†. JacksonRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery Essay802 Words   |  4 PagesTo a first time reader, Shirley Jacksons â€Å"The Lottery† seems simply as a curious tale with a shocking ending. After repetitive reading of Jacksons tale, it is clear that each sentence is written with a unique purpose often using symbolism. Her use of symbols not only foreshadow its surprise and disturbing ending but allows the reader to evaluate the communitys pervert traditional rituals. She may be commenting on the season of the year and the grass being â€Å"richly green† or the toying with theRead MoreThe Lottery Symbolism Essay804 Words   |  4 PagesThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a s hort story based on a fictional village that holds a macabre ritual. Although the regularity was not stated within the tale, the story speaks of a regular gathering of the village folk to conduct some form of lottery. In a disturbing twist of the tale, the winner of the lottery doesn’t get to receive a prize, but instead, suffer the indignity of being killed by getting stoned to death by friends, family, and neighbors. Mrs. Hutchinson is the unfortunate soul,Read More Symbolism in Jacksons The Lottery Essay1039 Words   |  5 PagesLottery: A Terrifying Trip Symbols can be used to convey a special meaning to the reader by association, especially when a material object is used to represent something abstract. Throughout the years, American writers have been using their works as a way to describe society to their broad audiences. As time periods change, writers as well as readers change their view about society. Several factors affect how readers view society in a piece of literature. To get a better understanding ofRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesWhen most people play the lottery today, they think about having wealth. Generally, people who win are happy about it whether they win one dollar or a million. The lottery in our society has grown to support education and it is often worth several million dollars. Usually, the winner of the lottery gains a lot of recognition for the money they win. But what would happen if there was a small town where people held a yearly lottery in which the â€Å"winner† was the member of the town who was not sacrificedRead MoreEssay on Symbolism and Characterization in Jackson’s The Lottery726 Words   |  3 Pagespassed on, from previous generations in Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery†. Traditions, which have been lost in time, but seemingly enough the stones have not been discarded. Set on a village in a warm summer day, the story begins with several boys gathering stones for the lottery. The rest of the villagers gather in the square. The fate of the villagers is determined by a slip of paper chosen from the black box. Symbolism and characterization, from the beginning to the end, work togetherRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay748 Words   |  3 PagesThe Lottery: Symbolism In her story â€Å"The Lottery†, Shirley Jackson manages to catch the readers’ attention and ultimately shock them with an unexpected ending; all of which help her emphasize her critique toward the dark side of human nature and the evil that resides, sometimes, in those who we less expect it from. Jackson uses symbolism throughout the story that helps her set the mood and also makes the readers wonder and analyze the senseless violence and cruelty in their own lives. It all startsRead More Symbolism and Setting in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay1118 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism and Setting in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson ?The Lottery? by Shirley Jackson is a short story that without the symbolism of its characters, would amount to little more than an odd tale about a stoning. However, because of what each character represents and the way the setting helps to magnify those representations, it becomes a short story that is anything but short of meaning. The first character is probably the most obviously symbolic character of the story. Every wordRead More The Use of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay938 Words   |  4 PagesThe Use of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Within the first few lines of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery we are faced with such adjectives as clear, sunny, fresh and warmth. She goes on to paint a picture of small children just out of school for the summer, as the townspeople gather for the annual Lottery. This leads us to believe that the rest of the story is as cheery as the summer day initially described. We as the readers are virtually unaware of the horrible senseless events