“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson: A Short Masterpiece Report (Assessment)

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Modern fictional scripts analysts stress on strict text interpretation. Assumptions and conjectures regarding a writer’s objectives or booklover’s reactions are unacceptable. The study is dominated by accurate structure and terminology analysis. A writer’s state of mind or how a script is received must not be used as a basis of study.

America has had prominent novelists over the years. Authors employed various writing styles to narrate their tales. Divergent writing techniques have raised most writers to fame. Fictional stories reviewers have had interest in works by an American author Shirley Jackson.

The Lottery story by Shirley Jackson received incredible interest from literary analysts. The detractors considered the Lottery script as a tale exclusively developed for fright. Conversely, scare was never Shirley’s intention when writing the story. In fact, she was recognized for creating stories concerning jovial people waiting for obscurity. Shirley’s objective was to illustrate humanity living in a bizarre situation (Stelly p. 1). The Lottery tale started in a relaxed daybreak. The day was intentionally selected by the author on the 27th of the sixth month.

A European traditional fete commemorated on the 21st had past and the American independence day of 4th July was further ahead. Therefore, Shirley’s chosen date appeared central to the two significant days. The European fete was occasioned by peculiar cultures while the American sovereignty date manifested liberty of persons. The fourteen days in between the two major occasions were cut in half by the 27th day. Shirley’s preferred date symbolized the disparity amid illogical evils and coherent equality.

Variances in the events signified a vital character in the Lottery story (Shields p. 4). The Lottery tale was centered on practices of societal brutality and injustice. Similarly, a midway date exemplified the dissimilarity between the two occasions. Furthermore, Shirley Jackson sought to draw attention to the existing events in Europe at that time. The date was used as a platform for the Lottery tale.

Shirley employed diverse writing styles in the Lottery story. She utilized imagery to characterize humanity as impure despite individual or group perceptions. The figurative approach assisted Shirley in her quest to explain humanity’s wickedness (Mccullough p. 1). Images represented what was intended and were applied in many areas of the tale. As a substitute to numerous terminologies, an image was used to represent expressions.

The lottery story was likewise based on sarcasm. Pleasant speeches and a grant to the game of chance were worth a celebratory affair of hope. However, in contrast, the tale ended in a brutal death (Voth p. 1). Irony in writing engaged readers and kept them in suspense. The technique allowed the author to twist her script to a desired direction. Satire in the tale made it lively and intriguing.

The lottery story had predictions in its writing. Shirley wrote about how youngsters gathered pebbles, residents picked grain and other incidences to point to the method used for victimization at the final end. Tessie Hutchinson was illogically chosen to be stoned (Shields p. 9). Mockery in the written script teased the reader into imagined intentions by the author. This technique kept the reader connected to events of the story. A mock pointed to the main event but it was not the experience.

Shirley maintained a specific subject matter throughout the Lottery story. She stressed on how the people of New England town held on to their culture. The town was not ready to alter anything not even the black box. The inhabitants preferred to maintain everything as they were (Blaylock p. 1). Retaining a definite idea in writing enhanced the flow of events. A reader always requires easy follow through when reading a story or document. Therefore, adherence to a particular topic is recommended in writing.

The Lottery was a short story but had enormous literature richness. Shirley applied professional writing skills that earned the Lottery story much approval. She sustained a uniform topic throughout the story and used good writing methods. Although the work was done in early 20th century, it continues as a reference point for most learners. Such precision and adherence to literature works ought to be encouraged in writings study.

Works Cited

Blaylock, Janet K. Sort Story Review. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. British Literature. 2003. Web.

Mccullough, David. Lottery. a Breakdown of Jackson’s Symbolism. 2002. Web.

Shields, Patrick J. Arbitrary Condemnation and Sanctioned Violence in Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’. Contemporary Justice Review. Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 411-419. 2004. Web.

Stelly, Timothy N. Shirley Jackson’s Short Masterpiece ‘The Lottery’. 2005. Web.

Voth, Lori. Analysis of ‘The Lottery’, a Short Story by Shirley Jackson. Associated Content. 2005. Web.

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IvyPanda. 2019. ""The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson: A Short Masterpiece." February 7, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-lottery-by-shirley-jackson/.

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