The Lottery By Shirley Jackson The Lottery Background

The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

“The Lottery” Background • First published in The New Yorker in 1948. • Considered one of the most haunting and shocking short stories of American fiction. • The New Yorker received hundreds of letters after its publication from readers expressing their disgust, cancelling their subscription and asking for Shirley Jackson to be arrested. • Jackson was harassed by angry mobs of readers who wanted to get her for her “obscene” writing.

Jackson on “The Lottery” “I suppose I hoped, by setting a particularly brutal rite in the present and in my own village, to shock the readers with a graphic demonstration of the pointless violence and general inhumanity of their own lives [but] I gather that in some cases the mind just rebels. The number of people who expected Mrs. Hutchinson to win a Bendix washer at the end would amaze you. ” Does she achieve her goal? Why or why not?

Historical & Literary Context • “The Lottery” was written in 1948, shortly after WWII. People were trying to come to terms with the brutality of war, the Holocaust, and the Atomic Bomb. • America was all about conformity! Fear of Communism, Mc. Carthyism, etc. • Postmodern Gothic Genre

Turn and Talk With Your “Family” 1. Determine why the title of “The Lottery” is ironic? 2. What was your first reaction to the ending of the story? Did it surprise you? Why? 3. To what extent could The Lottery be rigged in the story? Why or why not? 4. How does setting play a role in the story? Is it important to our reaction? 5. Conclude why the townspeople blindly follow this tradition that is no longer serving a purpose

Key Ideas for Discussion 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Fear Violence & Cruelty Mob Mentality Customs and Traditions Scapegoating/Victimization With your family: answer the following using the story as evidence 1. 2. HOW and WHY does Jackson CHOOSE to show us these big ideas in her work? Where have we seen these key ideas in literature we have read this year? In history?

Violence & Cruelty • While the stoning is cruel and a brutal act, Jackson enhances its emotional impact by setting the story in a seemingly peaceful and civilized society. • This suggests that horrifying acts of violence can take place anywhere at anytime, and they can be committed by the most ordinary people.

Mob Mentality & Conformity • Jackson presents a community whose citizens refuse to stand as individuals and oppose the lottery. • Instead, they unquestionably take part in the killing of an innocent and accepted member of their village with no apparent grief or remorse. • Different= There’s something wrong with YOU.

Customs & Traditions • When you blindly follow a ritual or tradition beyond the time when it has meaning, the consequences are negative. • The people of the village continue to take part in the lottery even though they cannot remember certain aspects of the ritual, such as the “tuneless chant” and the “ritual salute” simply because the event has been held for so long that these aspects have been lost to time. • Even the original stuff that was used in the ritual has been misplaced/forgotten. This shows that the villagers continue to follow even when they don’t know why anymore. • Just because you’ve been doing it forever, doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do.

Victim & Victimization • The villagers believe, based on ancient custom, that someone has to be sacrificed for the good of the village even if that person has done nothing wrong. • Jackson highlights humankind’s capacity to victimize their own by having friends and family members participate in Tessie’s killing. • For example, even though Mrs. Delacroix is kind and friendly to Tessie at the beginning of the story, she rushes to stone her “with a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands” after Tessie’s name is drawn.

Discuss • Do you think it is significant that a woman was selected as the lottery “winner? ” How does it fit in with the rest of the story? • Why is it also significant that the town is not named? • Discuss the following symbols within the story: – – – The Black Box The color black Old Man Warner Summer Solstice (June 27 th) The Lottery itself • Discuss the significance of the following names: – Mrs. Delacroix – Mr. Summers – Mr. Graves

Symbolism • The Black Box: represents inability to change. The box is old and in bad shape, but they won’t make a new box. Similar to how they don’t need the lottery anymore, either. • Old Man Warner: Oldest guy, represents tradition. Mr. “There’s always been a lottery. ” • Summer Solstice (June 27): Many primitive, prehistoric rituals took place during this time. This date represents the primitive nature of the society they are living in.

Name Significance • Mr. Summers- Connected to the Summer Solstice, the center of society. • Mr. Graves- Death and tragedy • Mrs. Delacroix- Literally translates to “of the cross. ” Relates to the sacrifice of Christ. At first, she seems the nicest. Then, she quickly shifts to being one of the most brutal. Also ironic because she picks up the biggest stone she can find to crush her friend.

What is hysteria? hysteria

• “Unmanageable emotional excesses” • Disease, body dysmorphic disorder, hypochondria • Through the late 19 th century hysteria was thought to be a condition particular to women caused by disturbances of the uterus

Mass Hysteria • Describes mass public near-panic reactions • In medicine the term is used to describe the spontaneous manifestation of the same or similar hysterical physical symptoms by more than one person

Instances of Mass Hysteria • Dancing Plague of 1518 – Holy Roman Empire • Blackburn, England 1965 – Girls’ school in Blackburn, dizziness, 85 girls hospitalized • Le. Roy, New York 2011 -12 – 12 high school girls, tourette-like symptoms

Heresy • Belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine

Fear • • Fear of change Fear of the unknown Fear of being different Fear as a method of control

Fear • The capacity for fear is part of human nature, BUT our specific fears tend to be a result of learned experiences • Fear is learned – Often stems from what we DO NOT know because we imagine it to be worse

Homework • You need to create a “collage fear” – 4 -5 things that YOU are afraid of – Cut from magazines, internet, etc. – Create a visual on printer paper of

Watch “The Lottery” 1969 Short Film • Part 1: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=p. Im 93 Xu ij 7 k • Part 2: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=PMh. V 3 f wx 5 Sg

Sit with your new “Family” & take out a piece of paper Bootleggers Environmentalists Feminists Hippies Proctor Lawrence Kennedy Jackson Daisy Gatsby Industrialists Apollo Muckrakers Civil Disobedience New Deal Oppenheimer Adam Shelley Nick Joe M. Andrew Sean Naseer William Colin Scott Braytan Thomas Emma Chris S. Drake Seva Eugene Mat Ellie Sam Jared Shreya Eric Nate B. Jessica Z Luke Grayson Meelad Lotta Kat Ian Mandy Maximiliano Kenneth Jacob Geneva Michael Greta Jake Erin Nadia Denzel Joseph C. Drew Nate S. Daniel Julia Chris W. Sammie Connor Missy Ava Ashish Paige Bailey Sunchay Zach Brendan Anna Natasha Spencer Noah Madi