The Lotter Essay – A Review
The Lottery essay can help students write a critical analysis on the short story, “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson. Customs have been prevalent since generations. Some are followed in the modern age with the same fervor and joy as in the past. However, customs that defy the basic fundamental right to live in a civilized society need to be done away with. Communities have thrived through the ages relying on superstition for problems that strike them collectively. Among the farming community, harvesting a crop is the single most important event during the year. If something were to go wrong with the crop, the entire community would have to suffer for the entire year or even longer. Fear plays a big part in breeding superstition. A small town of just 300 residents is prone to give into such superstition, especially when they depend on each other for help during difficult times.
A literature essay can reveal the predicament that people get into when superstition comes into play. The human mind begins find imaginary reasons for a calamity. Over a lengthy period of time, performing certain actions to face such calamity become rituals. Some go on to become traditions that is blindly followed from one generation to the next. The Lottery essay is the story of common men and women from a small American town who follow a yearly ritual called “The Lottery.” The head of each family would draw lots, and the one who gets a slip with a black mark on it is the chosen family for the next round. A contemporary town relying on lottery to sacrifice a human being for better harvest is really a disturbing thought. Unfortunately, it was the ritual the townsfolk were following.
Anxiety and tension among people who had to go through the ordeal can be analyzed further through a literature review writing exercise. Customs are followed blindly. Individuals accept the diktat of a community and even take part in rituals till they are personally affected. The Bill Hutchinson family is badly affected by one such ritual. Bill loses “the lottery” and his family members have to draw lots to decide who would be the sacrificial lamb. When Tessie Hutchinson arrives late for the event and draws the dreaded slip with a black mark, she realizes the gravity of the situation. Her protests go in vain as she is stoned to death. A law essay can summarize how a civilized society that indulges in such horrendous and crude acts need to be tackled.
Shirley Jackson was trying to highlight a brutal act that was taking place in her time. The short story was published in 1948, which should have made people sit up and show resentment. What followed was a series of hate mails. She has to justify her short story and clarify what it meant even months after it was published. The lottery essay can end with a note that people in civilized society cannot tolerate events that support brutality. Among several resentment letters that were sent to the author, a lady asks her why she couldn’t have written something to cheer them up instead.
