Good Example Of Essay On The Lottery” By Shirley Jackson

The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson emerged as an incredible story after its publication in The New Yorker magazine in 1948. It is a fictitious story well-known for exploring absurdities in our daily life. After it had been published, it generated mixed reactions from the public because of its hidden meaning. A vast majority of writers sent letters to get interpretations of the confusing short story. The Lottery was very influential as it became so famous by causing curiosity and anxiety across the board. The author applied unique literary styles, symbolism, and metaphors when composing the short story. Surprisingly, despite being regarded as the best short story of the 20th century, it was banned from institutions of learning and many libraries in the United States and other parts of the world. Most critics argue that the story lacks momentous and precise details since the meaning are hidden through symbolism and metaphors. Jackson composed the modern-day parable and addressed various themes including the threat of ritualized behavior, the darker side of the nature of humans, and the potential for cruelty. The paper will address the criticism, thoughts and opinions towards The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.
The American public was furious because the story was largely negative as it criticized the way of life in a small town in America. The author attacked the values and cultural beliefs of a particular town and asserted that the authority had a tendency of stoning people to death. Most individuals were perplexed since that was not true. In reality, most readers failed to understand the intentions of the author. Jackson is only trying to depict how inhumanity can occur even in the most unexpected and safe places. The author opted to base the story in a small town since most readers doubted their safety in their country.
The Lottery has received mixed reactions from the public. For instance, Lenemaja Friedman believes that the story is dominated by confusion, speculation and old-fashioned abuse as the main features. Many writers have anthologized the story making it more famous. There is a section of individuals who believes that the story has a shock ending. They also argue that the author fails to develop the characters, and this is unrealistic since readers are unable to understand the story. They are those commentators who are optimistic and consider the story as a modern-day fable. The commentators assert that Jackson has used literature elements incorporated into consistency, style and structure of the parables of the New and Old Testament.
In my opinion, The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson cannot be associated with accuracy. I feel that the author has intentions to evade the real meaning by using unrealistic characters. Also, I am not contented with the manner Jackson uses an ambiguous dialog and makes the ending very appalling. In my capacity, I could rate the story as that one lacks evidence as it is associated with the literary barrenness. I wonder why many commentators’ claims that The Lottery has an interesting parable-like structure since it solve timeless issues in the contemporary world. The story is also praised of the resonance associated with it since stimulates the emotions of the readers to reflect on it and get involved in endless debates.
Personally, I believe that the author decided to keep the intended meaning a secret since with time, the public will realize its meaning. The mixed reactions that emerged after the publication of the story amazed Jackson. In real sense, she was not criticizing the way of life in the American rural setting but she was commenting on inhumanity and human nature in the society at large. Debates about the short story have raised questions regarding permission and participation making it a great essay. Despite the small gathering at the beginning of the story, the official event represented the power of authority and governance. Jackson sends a message to the public to stop blaming the government for misfortunes facing them and reminds them that the government and its citizens are responsible for all actions that happen within the society.
As expounded above, Shirley Jackson uses unique elements and styles to manipulate her readers. Jackson approach works perfectly as the story unfolds. At first, people are pleased with certain events but in the reality, the events are also exposed to a dark side. The title “The Lottery” is a perfect example how the author tumbles with the expectations of the target audience. Literally, the title projects a sense of hope and likelihood that someone will win something in the end. The end disappoints many readers as it goes against their expectations. The actual meaning of the lottery unfolds to reveal the distinct style and structure of Shirley Jackson. The story can only be compared to “Young Goodman Brown” because their themes are comparable. The author creates suspension as the readers fail to predict the outcome of the lottery. The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is an incredible story though it arouses a lot of controversies from critics, commentators, and readers.

Works Cited

Franklin, Ruth. "“The Lottery” Letters." The New Yorker 25 June 2013: n. pag. Print.