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  • Essay / Using Symbolism in the Lottery by Shirley Jackson

    In stories there will be objects that are constantly mentioned in the story. This is called symbolism. Symbolism is the use of an object, name, or person to represent an idea. If a noun is used, a noun such as autumn can represent a human's adulthood. Creatures such as an eagle represent "freedom" and "America". Even inanimate objects can represent ideas; the light bulb represents ideas that have just sprouted in a character's head. In the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, a village has just entered the month of June, which means the lottery is due to begin. When everyone was present, the names of the heads of the family were called one by one to collect a piece of paper. It was then discovered that the Hutchinson family was the family chosen to enter the lottery again. When Mr. Hutchinson, Mrs. Hutchinson, Bill Jr., Nancy, and Little Dave each received a piece of paper, they quickly checked each piece of paper. Mr. Hutchinson, Bill Jr., Nancy, and Little Dave turned out not to have the dotted paper, but it was Mrs. Hutchinson who had the black dotted piece of paper, declaring her the "winner" of the lottery. The use of symbolism is evident in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. The names of the main characters all represent a symbol. Mr. Summers is declared an example of tokenism. In fact, an article titled "Names in Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery'" stated that Mr. Summers' name means "the season of growth, the season of life," which explains why in "The Lottery" he is described as a “jovial man”. » (Jackson1864) “who had time and energy” (Jackson1864). "The Names in Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery'" also said Mr. Summers also represented Ruiz4innocence "because of his new ideas." In the story it was in the middle of paper...... 2005. Web. March 17, 2014. Gahr, Elton and Ronda, Bowen, eds. “Understanding the “lottery” symbols. » Bright Hub Education. Bright Hub, Inc., January 5, 2012. Web. March 17, 2014.Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery”. Heritage of American literature. Ed. James E. Miller. Flight. 2. Austin: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1991. 1864. Print. Ma, Martine. “Literary Analysis Essay: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.” Word Press. Np, June 10, 2013. Web. March 17, 2014. Pirate Professor and Lentz. "What are the symbols in 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson." Enotes. Enotes, Inc., November 10, 2011 and September 19, 2012. Web. March 17, 2014. Scheelat, Lucas. “Symbolism in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.” Reading reaction. No. January 26, 2009. the web. March 17, 2014. Shmoop Publishers. “Symbolism, imagery and allegory: the black box and the three-legged stool”. Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc., nd Web. March 17 2014.