Structure and symbolism in The Lottery Essay Example for Free

anatomical structure and symbolism in The Lottery EssayIn The Lottery, Shirley Jackson relates an unusual story concerning an old religious rite within the setting of a small American village. Reading for the first time, most readers will be tremendously shocked by the ending with an idyllic village atmosphere settled down at the beginning part, the cruel and outrageous ending comes all too suddenly and out of expectation.However, a awake examination can reveal that the shock is not sudden at all The Lottery rattling fuses two stories and themes into one fictional vehicle the overt, easily discovered story appears in the literal facts, producing an immediate, wound up impact whereas in the second story which lies beneath the first, the authors careful structure and consistent symbolism diddle to develop gradually the shock and to present a profound theme Man is not at the mercy of savagery he is the victim of unexamined and unchanging traditions which he may easily change if he only realizes their implications. The symbolic overtones which develop in the second story can be sensed as early as the fourth word of the story when the date of June 27th alerts us to the season of pass solstice with all its overtones of antediluvian ritual (The ancient rituals were traditionally held in summer solstice so as to pack for harvest of autumn. ) Carefully the scene is set-The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of the full-summer day the flowers were prime profusely and the grass was richly green. The children newly freed from school play boisterously, rolling in the dust.But, ominously, Bobby Martin has already stuffed his pockets with stones and harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix follow his example, eventually making a great pile of stones in the corner which they contain from the raids of other boys. Thus by the end of just two paragraphs, the author has carefully indicated the season, time of ancient ritual of sacrifice and the stones, most ancient of sacrifice weapons. Then The men began to gather, talking of the planting and rain-the exchange issues of the ancient propitiatory rites, and tractors and taxes-those modern additions to the concerns of man.The men are quieter, more aware, and the patriarchal order, the oldest social group of man, is cursorily evidenced as women join their husband and call their children to them. When Bobby Martin tries to leaves the group runs laughing to the stones, he is sharply rebuffed by his serious father, who knows that this is no game. All these descriptions clearly show that this is more than the surface idyllic small townsfolk life, the symbolic undercurrents prepare us to be drawn step by step towards the ultimate, where everything will fuse.