“The Lottery” By Shirley Jackson
The best example of imagery in the story The Lottery from Shirley Jackson is its use of symbolic and visually descriptive language. It allows the reader the ability to draw a vivid picture by using imagery correctly. It grabs the reader’s attention and captures their subconscious. One line of imagery can trigger the subconscious connection between the reader and the characters. This allows the reader become more involved in the story.
Jackson also added symbolism to his story. Symbolism was used throughout the story. It is important not to be too vague when using symbolism. Instead, make the meaning clear enough to the reader. This will force them to take the time to reflect on what happened and to understand the deeper meaning behind the words. If writers are skilled at using words, they can subconsciously play with readers’ minds. “The morning was sunny and clear with the warm summer heat; the flowers were in full bloom and the grass was green.” (430). Jackson). One of the best things about imagery is the ability to recreate the picture the writer has described and apply it to your own life. A reader will finish what they start if it is easy to grab their attention. If the reader is not able to quickly attach to the text, they will eventually stop reading the work and put it down. Jackson uses imagery in another example. She paints Bobby Martin with the stones and states that Bobby Martin had already filled his pockets with stones. The other boys followed his lead and chose the roundest and smoothest stones (431). Jackson).
This imagery can be powerful but it also has a disadvantage. Too much information allows the reader to quickly read the intertextuality and solve mysteries. The story is set in 1948. With townspeople gathering in the square and collecting stones, it’s easy to see that there’s about to be stone thrown. In fact, this is what happened. The reader gets the mystery solved a bit too fast. Jackson is a master at symbolism. She does this by using the last names of characters. Names like Adams, Hutchinson and Adams were not accidental.
While it is impossible to know the truth, one can infer these names were used as symbols for figures from the past. Anne Hutchinson got excommunicated for her beliefs. Her thinking was similar to that of Tessie. Tessie wasn’t killed solely because of her beliefs. However, she did have a disagreement with her sentence. Another example of this is Jeremy Bentham. A British philosopher, Bentham was best known for his utilitarian views concerning certain social changes during his lifetime. This belief holds that decisions are “good” when they offer the greatest pleasure and cause the least pain. Tessie felt pain, but only one person of the three hundred was feeling it. This is utilitarianism, which can be useful when dealing with moral dilemmas.
Although utilitarianism seems “okay”, it is not the right way to think in all cases. Each case should be considered and decided individually. While traditions can be fun to follow and take part in, the point at which we “just do it because it’s what our parents did” is unacceptable. Adams, Steve Adams, makes a great last name. While Steve Adams was not able to spend much time on the story, he was brought into the story at crucial moments. Jackson said that Adams was in front of the crowd as they approached Tessie. This could suggest that Adam was the first human to walk on the Earth and throw the first stones. He would then be the first person to lead the pack towards Tessie. “A stone struck her on the side. Old Man Warner said, “Come On, Everyone.” Steve Adams was sitting in the front row of the villagers, Mrs. Graves next to him.
” (436. Jackson).
Adam, Delacroix being first man on this planet, is also a surname in the story. The story plays on religious symbolism in French, meaning “of cross”. Jackson was aware of what she was doing when she added this sense to religious symbolism, but it wasn’t obvious. These subtle, but vital aspects are essential to the story’s development in many different ways. Literary concepts and techniques can make a big impact on the story if used correctly. This is clearly evident in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”, which uses symbols and imagery throughout her work. This is a reminder that different literary techniques can have both advantages and disadvantages. We can see that she was able to paint the image of Bobby Martin’s round, smooth stones. Based on the time period, readers could conclude that this was not a lottery.
For those who can read and understand the context, they will be able see that the lottery ends with stoning. Objectively good work is anything that makes an individual feel or think differently than they did before experiencing it. It doesn’t matter if one has a subjective opinion. But if it brings the person to a new place, the work is objectively better. The work is enhanced by creativity because it enriches the person experiencing it.
