Winning the Lottery Equals Death in Shirley Jackson, The...

To win a lottery should be an exciting and joyful thing, but in â€Å"The Lottery† created by Shirley Jackson, winning the lottery in the story would be the most unfortunate thing for everyone as it equals to death. â€Å"The Lottery† is a tradition to pick a scapegoat, it has been carried out in the village for a very long time and it is a part of life for everyone. No one wants to question the tradition as they believe that it would help them to having a great harvest. A Third person narrator tells the story using a calm and natural tone. In the first sentence, The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.(Jackson 1) A journalistic†¦show more content†¦This symbolizes the inhumanity of people murdering their own kind during the war, following the footsteps of their ancestor without questioning right or wrong, being senseless and cruel as murdering had already become their part of nature. Mr. Summers is the man who held and prepared the lottery. He runs a coal business in the village which indicates many villagers would be his employees. Being the most powerful man in the village but having no children plus his wife was a scold makes the villagers feel sorry for him. Running a big business and still â€Å"had time and energy to devote to civic activates.† He appears to be a good man in the story, but is this true? His choice in marrying a scolding wife can be a political move to buy popularity in order to be the leader and take control of the lottery. There is a possibility of black box operation when he was preparing the material for the event so as to keep himself in a safe position and get rid of who he dislike in the village. Mr. Summers symbolize the man-dominated society and upper class controlling the lower class through political and economic means. We can see Jackson portrays the idea of sex discrimination in in â€Å"The Lottery† several times. In the beginning of the event, Mrs. Dunbar is questioned by Mr. Summer â€Å"Don’t you have a grown boy to do it for you, Janey?† When she wanted to drawShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Movie The Lottery By Shirley Jackson1220 Words   |  5 PagesProfessor Lail April 27 2016 The Unlucky Winner â€Å"The Lottery† is a short story written by Shirley Jackson in late June of 1948. Jackson was born into a middle class family and her parents are Leslie Jackson, who was a stay at home housewife, and Geraldine Jackson, who was an employee of a lithographing company. Jackson loved to write in her early years, as a child she would always write poems and always kept a journal. Although Jackson spent her first few years in California, around her teenageRead MoreThe Rocking Horse Winner By. Lawrence Essay1668 Words   |  7 Pagesbut creates mystery and adventure through the protagonist. Mr. Burroughs’s â€Å"No Defense for ‘The Rocking-Horse Winner’† illustrates the effectiveness of the lack of information to promote imaginative qualities for the reader. Also, Allegory and the Death of the Heart in the Rocking-Horse Winner † by Mr. Koban pushes the aspect of delusion of the characters to entice thought. In the â€Å"The Cask of Amontilladoà ¢â‚¬  by Edger Allan Poe produces a story about true obscurity for the reader, and the murderousRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson869 Words   |  4 PagesThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson is entirely constructed of Symbolism. From the very title â€Å"The lottery† it allows our minds to think of the joyous occasion of winning, or gaining from something because that is what a lottery is. There is no prize but there is a risk in the drawing. Essentially every part of the story represents an idea the author wants the reader to explore. The names of the characters, the setting, the block box and the overall tradition to follow are suspenseful. Trying to interpretRead MoreFiction : Fiction And Fiction Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pagesbecause they are born in a different class, doesn’t mean they don’t have a choice to live in whichever society they choose. The main point of the story is to show the reader that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you c ome from, there is always an equal chance of opportunities in the world. In The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara, she creates many building blocks throughout this short story. The three building blocks I am going to tell you about are theme, symbol and epiphany. The theme of the story isRead MoreTradition or Cruelty in Shirley Jacksons The Lottery Essay2237 Words   |  9 PagesTradition or Cruelty in Shirley Jacksons The Lottery Shirley Jacksons The Lottery satirizes barbaric traditions in a supposedly civilized village. As the story begins, the villagers appear to be fairly civilized and carry on fairly modern lifestyles. This is assumed by the mens discussion of planting, rain, tractors, and taxes. The lottery was outdated to such a degree that some may think that the tradition is primal competition of anthropoid beasts. On the other hand, some think that carryingRead MoreThemes Of `` The Lottery `` By Shirley Jackson And The Ones Who Walk Away From 1861-18651553 Words   |  7 Pagesattempted but failed equality in my final paper. The theme of equality is present throughout many of the dystopian short stories, novels, poems and films we have studied in class. The three stories I feel this theme is most present in are â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut and â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas† by Ursula Le Guin. In these stories society tries to make everything orderly and just. Their methods to promote equality are flawed. The goal in these storiesRead MoreAnalysis : The Five Eighty Eight And Stone Mattress 1746 Words   |  7 Pagescriticism that helped me show how women’s personalities were affected by abuse, I decided to change my paper’s focus on the role of women in literature. Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tessie Hutchinson in â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, Delia Jones in â€Å"Sweat† by Zora Neale Hurston, and the unnamed narrator in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman are all women who are seen of as less than their husbands. Patrick 3 The Role of Women in Literature FromRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesRichard Gould, Kenneth King, Marjorie Lee, Elizabeth Perry, Heidi Wackerli, Perry Weddle, Tiffany Whetstone, and the following reviewers: David Adams, California State Polytechnic University; Stanley Baronett, Jr., University of Nevada-Las Vegas; Shirley J. Bell, University of Arkansas at Monticello; Phyllis Berger, Diablo Valley College; Kevin Galvin, East Los Angeles College; Jacquelyn Ann Kegley, California State University-Bakersfield; Darryl Mehring, University of Colorado at Denver; Dean

Obtaining A College Degree Is Essential For Getting A Good...

According to a poll by Gallup, almost seven out of ten Americans strongly agree that obtaining a college degree â€Å"is essential for getting a good job in this country.† Approximately four out of five Americans claim that they lack the financial ability to afford a college education (Levaux). With the clear majority of Americans believing that having such an education is essential, discussion pertaining to the legitimacy of its cost is necessary. On average, public postsecondary school tuitions are rising over twice as fast as inflation, and private postsecondary school tuitions are rising over two and a half times as fast as inflation (Lorin). Even the associated costs of colleges are rising, such as room and board and collegiate texts. According to Allie Bidwell, the last decade has seen textbook prices leap by 82 percent (â€Å"High Textbook Prices†). Once an educational establishment for the elite and a factory for the clergy, postsecondary education has become cr ucial in the everyday lives of those seeking a stable career to uphold them and their families (Kaufman). America has long been a powerful world leader, but its education system is failing. Current trends project future tuitions to create unsustainably high prices, where the generation concerned may find themselves entirely unable to feasibly pay for their own education. Several other countries already provide easily obtainable or free postsecondary education to their students. America needs to make the transition fromShow MoreRelatedEssay on Education is the Secret Behind Every Successful Person567 Words   |  3 Pageseducation is essential in order to be successful economically and socially.The benefits of education are boundless. People start their careers in elementary school, they grow older then they move into middle school and then finally high school. I believe that from elementary school to high school, students are getting an inadequate amount of education. Furthermore, education should be a mandatory process because those who continue their education through colleges and universityRead MoreIs College Worth A Education?1140 Words   |  5 PagesIs college worth attending? Many graduating students are leaving college today with enormous amounts of student’s loans debt. Sometimes they do not obtain the college degree that they were going to school for. Today many induvial believe that getting a good education is the key to success in our society. There are issues that challenge the notion of higher education being worth its price. While in college, many students suffer stress from all the school work and responsibilities that is requiredRead MoreThe Value Of An Education1037 Words   |  5 Pagescontinuing their education beyond high school and a bachelor’s degree. If one chooses not to expand their knowledge and open their mind to be taught, a person will then become stagnant and unfamiliar with the changes in our civilization. â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.† †“Nelson Mandela. â€Å"Americans with four-year college degrees made 98 percent more an hour on average in 2013 than people without a degree. That’s up from 89 percent five years earlier, 85 percentRead MoreIs College Worth It?923 Words   |  4 Pages is college worth it? Many people question this especially high school students who are about to graduate. This debate is still taking place today. The common misunderstood saying is, if you have a degree you will then have a good job. But this is not the case because in today’s society there are so many people with degrees who still cannot find a job. The rate of unemployment is increasing rapidly on a yearly basis. High school students see it this way, if I can’t find a job with a degree thenRead MoreCollege Of Flint Online Program828 Words   |  4 Pages I am a recent graduate of Baker College of Flint online program, earning both my Associates and Bachelors degree in business administration majoring in Human Resource Management. For the past twenty five years I have been working as an operations manager. Today I work for a non profit organization overseeing a team of twenty employees. I graduated high school at age sixteen; looking back, I didn’t think I had too many options when it came to continuing my education. I grew up as the youngestRead MorePaper766 Words   |  4 Pagesyou in College?† Ever since I started to seriously think about my future, I had aspirations of getting a degree and becoming a professional. Specific careers have changed constantly, ranging from becoming a teacher to an engineer. As I got older, I began to assess my strengths and weaknesses as well as my likes and dislikes. I know a college education is essential in today’s economy and society. Doors are opened to those with college degrees and a better lifestyle is guaranteed. A college educationRead MoreBenefits Of College Education1343 Words   |  6 Pagestoday, college is no longer an option or privilege, it’s a necessity. College education is the most important education of them all because it sets in stone the rest of your life. Higher education is touted to lead to a number of benefits, including financial security and prosperous career. In fact, about 84 percent of Americans claim that a higher education is very important to get ahead in life† (Vista Success). Furtheri ng my education is highly important in life because a college degree can dictateRead MoreMy Life Past Present Future1669 Words   |  7 PagesI was taught to be independent and work hard. Returning to college as an adult, with family and children, it’s a challenge but being able to complete my degree has being a long time goal. Being able to give my children and myself a better life it’s something I have to do. I. My Early years †¢ Being Raise By A Single Mother †¢ Values †¢ Responsibility II. My Childhood †¢ Moving to New York City III. Adulthood †¢ Children †¢ My job †¢ College As an Adult †¢ My Academic Goals †¢ Life After Graduating IV. ConclusionRead MorePersonal Statement : Physical Design Engineering934 Words   |  4 Pagesimportant aspect of a career to me is to improve the quality of life of the community. It is vital to start exploring careers now to make a good lifelong decision. A career that both intrigues me and has qualities I desire is physical design engineering. A physical design engineer is responsible for building a portion of a computer chip. The engineer’s job revolves around placing and routing components of a chip. During the placement portion of the building of a chip, the engineering team must figureRead MoreBenefits Of Attending College After High School1369 Words   |  6 PagesProfessor Tix ENGL 1302- MWF 8:00 AM 29 April 2016 Benefits of Attending College After High School There are many benefits for students choosing college as their first step in your future after high school. Earning a college degree is an important step, both personally and professionally (Hussung, 2015). Having a higher education is valuable to an individual, families, and the community as well. Students who obtain a college education often have higher lifetime earnings and experience a variety of

The Danger of Knowledge free essay sample

In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth and Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein it can be said that both protagonists come to an unfortunate end. What leads to Macbeth and Frankenstein’s premature demise? Victor Frankenstein and Macbeth both demonstrate that acquisition of knowledge is dangerous and to seek it for the purpose of power leads to destruction of life. Macbeth’s and Frankenstein’s knowledge leads to overwhelming ambition, to immoral decisions and the destruction of their reality. Firstly knowledge leads to overpowering ambition. In the first act Macbeth is well-liked, King Duncan gloats: â€Å"He is full so valiant / and is a peerless kinsman† (1. 4. 56-60) and in doing so shows that Macbeth is regarded as an honest and valiant warrior. By the end of the first act Macbeth’s ambition becomes a problem. The Witches share the knowledge that Macbeth â€Å"shalt be king hereafter! † (1. 3. 52). For Macbeth the knowledge that he is to be king intrigues him but he thinks he has to kill the king to become the king. We will write a custom essay sample on The Danger of Knowledge or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Macbeth weighs his options: â€Å"Duncan†¦hath been / so clear in his great office, that his virtues / will plead like angels†¦ I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which oerleaps itself / And falls on th other. † (1. 7. 16-23). Macbeth thinks King Duncan is a good man and the only thing that motivates Macbeth to kill Duncan is ambition fueled by acquired knowledge. Contrastingly Frankenstein gains his knowledge not through witchcraft but books and facts while studying science at the University of Ingolstadt. Frankenstein says: â€Å"One mans life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which I sought, for the dominion I should acquire and transmit over the of our race† (Shelly 12) which shows that he thinks his knowledge is worth more than the lives of others. Furthermore Frankenstein seeks the power to conquer nature and benefit humanity. Frankenstein feels that with his knowledge of science he has ultimate power which leads him to over extend his ambition. Secondly knowledge blinds their moral compasses. The witches say to Banquo that â€Å"Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo! †(1. 3. 58-59) the witches state that even though Macbeth will be king Banquo’s sons will be kings following Macbeth’s reign. Before the prophecy was made it is perceivable that Macbeth would have given his life for Banquo in combat but the knowledge of his rein encourages Macbeth to over throw Banquo. If Macbeth does not react to the Witches information then it is possible that Macbeth gives Banquo’s sons the throne by free will. Nowhere in the text does it state that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are capable of reproduction. Macbeth does not think of these scenarios and instead reacts to this information by killing his dear friend Banquo and attempting to kill Banquo’s son. Similarly Frankenstein gains the knowledge necessary to reanimate life, but acts without thinking of the consequences. Once Frankenstein finishes creating his monster he says: â€Å"No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch† (Shelly 43) after looking at the monster Frankenstein runs away in horror. In the following months Frankenstein immorally does not attempt to contact the monster and leaves him alone in the world without any guidance. The wretch then goes on to kill innocent people. If Frankenstein had raised the monster it is possible that the monster would have been peaceful and useful to society, but Frankenstein only thinks about himself and brings something into the world he did not understand. Subsequently, Frankenstein’s immoral decisions lead to an infuriated Wretch that kills Frankenstein’s family and friends as revenge for abandoning him. Lastly both characters state that knowledge has led to their misfortune. By the fifth act Macbeth has killed countless people and his actions have led to the death of his wife Lady Macbeth. During the final scene before his own death he proclaims â€Å"My soul is too much charged / And be these juggling fiends no more believed, / That palter with us in a double sense, / That keep the word of promise to our ear, / And break it to our hope† (5. 8. 19-23). Macbeth realises that the knowledge the witches have given him has led to all of his recent misery. Similarly Frankenstein says: â€Å"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow† (Shelly 38). Frankenstein explicitly states that the acquirement of knowledge is perilous. He warns Robert Walton that seeking answers will only bring misery and a man is happiest in his own town appose to traveling the world in search of glory and power. Also implied is that he has tried to become greater that nature meaning that he was overextending himself for power. Frankenstein warns even further: â€Å"I have suffered great and unparalleled misfortunes†¦You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been† (Shelly 14) Frankenstein speaks that he has suffered because of his knowledge and ambition. Frankenstein hopes Walton’s desires do not lead to his downfall as they have for himself. In closing even though the knowledge that Macbeth and Frankenstein acquires is very different the result is the same, death and destruction. Macbeth is told by the witches that he will be king and the knowledge of his reign leads Macbeth to kill King Duncan, his friend Banquo and countless other people resulting in his own death. Frankenstein’s knowledge leads him to create a monster that kills his family, his friends and himself. â€Å"Peace, peace! Learn my miseries and do not seek to increase your own. † (Shelly 186) The difference between the two men is that Frankenstein tries to end the cycle of destruction, by sharing the knowledge of his experiences with Robert Walton. Contrastingly Macbeth does nothing to prevent future chaos furthering the cycle of destruction. Ultimately these characters show us that learning knowledge in its self can be useful but to acquire it for the purpose power leads to ruin.