Two themes in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” are the dangers of blindly following tradition and the arbitrary nature of violence. The opening of the story sets the tone of mindless acceptance of the status quo, with children gathering “as they did every year” to participate in the ritual while their parents look on approvingly.
Nowhere is this mindless acceptance of tradition more keenly felt than when Tessie Hutchinson arrives late, imploring her family and neighbors to delay the lottery until she arrives, only to meekly accept the situation once they turn her away.
This theme is further brought home in the story’s climax, showing the extreme dangers of blindly following tradition when Tessie Hutchinson is selected as the lottery winner for the village.
The second prominent theme of “The Lottery” is the arbitrary nature of violence, particularly in the context of mob mentality. Despite there hinting at a deeper, insidious meaning behind the lottery ritual in the beginning of the story, the true horror of the lottery is only felt as the ritual progresses and the effects of the violence become more pronounced.
Through the indulgence of the mob instinct, the villagers become willing and eerily eager participants in the violent ritual, culminating in a frenzy of stone-throwing at Tessie after her name is drawn.
This theme of violence reinforces the second half of the story’s commentary of the need to critically examine traditions, as the villagers take an otherwise benign ritual and transform it into a savage act of violence.
What are two 2 different types of conflict in The Lottery?
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson tells a story of a small village’s ritualistic tradition of holding a lottery with a fatal outcome. At face value, it appears to be a small village participating in a harmless game.
However, as the story progresses, it can be seen that the lottery creates several types of conflicts.
First is the conflict between tradition and modernization. The Lottery focuses on a village that is relatively rooted in tradition, with strong adherence to their customs, practices, and folklore. The main characters in The Lottery demonstrate a mixture of respect and reluctance towards the lottery and its traditions, providing evidence that this struggle between the traditional and the new is at the heart of the story.
The second type of conflict present in The Lottery is between what is right and wrong. While the village follows a tradition that is centuries old, the reader is left to judge if the lottery is socially acceptable or morally wrong.
The central characters initially follow the tradition without really thinking of the consequences of their actions. However, as the story progresses, the reader finds themselves confronting their own values as the villagers face the potential for injustice, cruelty, and death.
Overall, The Lottery is an exploration of the conflict between traditional values and progressive ones, as well as between morality and consequence. These dual themes of traditionalism and morality come together in an interesting way that allows readers to make up their own minds about the right and wrong of the lottery.
What is one theme found in The Lottery quizlet?
One theme found in The Lottery quizlet is the corrosive nature of tradition and misguided ritual. The short story of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson examines the ritual of a ritualistic tradition of a small town where a lottery is held to sacrifice a member of the town every year.
The lottery’s purpose is not revealed to the characters or readers, and instead, the characters seem to accept it as an arbitrary tradition with no purpose. However, gradually, it is revealed that the purpose of the lottery is to ensure good luck and prosperity for the members of the town.
The ritualistic nature of the lottery has caused the people in the town to become desensitized to it, and they no longer question why it is necessary. In spite of the fact that the ritual has become completely senseless, the people of the town have become so normalized to it that they view the process of selecting a member of the town to be sacrificed as completely natural and mundane.
This shows the corrosive and dangerous effects of upholding traditions without question.
What does the black box symbolize in the lottery?
The black box symbolizes the grim prospect of fate and the unknown future that is presented by the lottery. Throughout the story, it is made clear that the box holds no distinct significance, but it is implicit that they are playing with their lives and futures inside this box.
Despite the fact that the box is random, it is seen as a representation of what their lives could become if the wrong name is picked. For the townspeople, the black box serves as an ominous reminder of the power that fate has over their lives, as they are all in risk of being chosen as the sacrificial ‘winner.
‘ Additionally, it can also symbolize the town’s faith in the lottery, as they carry out its tradition without question or hesitation. Ultimately, the black box stands as a metaphor for the idea that there is no control in life and that ultimately our fates rests in the hands of the universe.
What are the two conflicts illustrated in the story?
The two conflicts illustrated in the story are internal and external. The internal conflict is the main character’s inner struggle to figure out how to deal with her feelings of betrayal when she finds out her best friend has been lying to her.
She grapples with her emotions, trying to make sense of everything that has happened and to decide how to move forward. The external conflict is between the main character and her friend. Even though the main character is hurt and angry, she eventually musters up the courage to confront her friend and demand an explanation.
Through this confrontation, they are finally able to resolve their differences and come to a better understanding of one another.
What are the two types of group conflict?
The two types of group conflict are task conflict and relationship conflict. Task conflict occurs when group members disagree over the tasks or objectives associated with a particular project, often resulting from differences in opinion, leadership styles, or experience.
Relationship conflict, on the other hand, is rooted in differences in interpersonal relationships and disagreements over non-task-related issues like communication styles or individual preferences. This type of conflict is complex because it often involves more than one underlying cause and can be difficult to resolve.
Both types of conflict can have a negative impact on team productivity and morale, so it’s important to identify and address the root cause of each conflict quickly and effectively.
How is family a theme in The Lottery?
Family is a recurring theme in Shirley Jackson’s 1948 short story “The Lottery,” which centers around a small town’s annual tradition of sacrificing a person determined by lottery. The horror of the story stems from how accepted and unquestioning the entire town is of the lottery, even though it has no clear origin or purpose.
Family ties are among the strongest enforcers of this tradition. The lottery is only attended by the heads of households, who are expected to dutifully follow through with the process and sacrifice one of their family members if their family is selected.
Parents use the lottery as a way of instilling respect for tradition in their children, and adults in the community push them to join in the ritual. This is exemplified by the menacing tone in which the lottery leader Mr.
Summers tells young children to “be sure and pick a good one” of their family to sacrifice.
Jackson also emphasizes how much family relationships shape the reaction to the lottery’s ending. Mrs. Hutchinson is initially supportive of her husband’s sacrifice but is outraged when it is actually her who is chosen.
Not only does this disrupt the sense of safety she has in her family, it also reveals the true nature of the lottery to her, one in which her closest family members are just as likely to be the victim.
This reinforces how family relationships can be both powerful ties when honoring convention, and destructive when that same convention is suddenly revealed to be cruel.