Essay About Black Box And Atmosphere Of The Town

The Lottery: Symbolism
Essay title: The Lottery: Symbolism
The Lottery: Symbolism
Essay submitted by Kerri Gun
In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson uses symbolism to make us aware of the pointless
nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. The story starts off on a beautiful
summer day in a small town. The author describes the day as very euphoric but strikes a
contrast between the atmosphere of the town and the atmosphere of the people gathered
in the square. The atmosphere is subdued, where the children are “gathered around
quietly.”
The black box is the central theme or idea in the story. It symbolizes at first some type of
mystery, but as we read the ending we realize that it is synonymous with doom.
Someones fate lies in an inanimate object, the black box. We do not always enjoy
change, even if it might prove beneficial to us. The box is symbolic of our loathing of
change; it is old and splintered showing that we cling to what is familiar rather than
change and it also symbolizes the traditions of the community. No one in the little town
questions the origin of the black box, but accept it as an intrical part of their lives.
The lottery itself is symbolic of the paradox of the human psyche between compassion on
one hand and the thirst for violence and cruelty on the other. An example of this is when
the children are enjoying a break from school, playing and being children, and suddenly
they are being joined by “rational” adults in stoning a mother to death. It appears that
tradition has blinded