The LotteryShirley JacksonLaurel County Schools“彩票”雪莉杰克逊桂县学校

“TheLottery〞

ShirleyJacksonNotesonthestoryShirleyJacksonShirleyJackson(December14,1919-August8,1965)wasanAmericanauthorwhowroteshortstoriesandnovels.Hermostfamousworkishershortstory"TheLottery,"whichcombinesapeacefulsmall-town-Americasettingwithahorrificshockending.Thetoneofmostofherworksisoddandmacabre,withanimpendingsenseofdoom,oftenframedbyveryordinarysettingsandcharacters.FirstPublicationandReaction1948intheNewYorkermagazine“TheLotteryisreportedtohavegeneratedmorenegativelettersfromreadersthananyotherstorypreviouslypublishedbythemagazine.ManycancelledtheirsubscriptionstothemagazineReaderswereoffendedbytheworkanditssuggestionthatevilcouldbesoeasilyandcommonlycarriedout.Theyfeltthestoningwasapointless,arbitrary,violentsacrifice.FirstPublicationandReactionSomepeopleactuallycalledtoseewherethetownwassothattheycouldgoandwatchthelottery.ShirleyJacksonreceivedover300lettersthatsummeralone—〞Icancountonlythirteenthatspokekindlytome.Evenmyownmotherscoldedme:‘DadandIdidnotcareatallforyourstory…itdoesseem,dear,thatthisgloomykindofstoryiswhatallyouyoungpeoplethinkaboutthesedays.Whydon’tyouwritesomethingtocheerpeopleup?’〞ShirleyJackson’sResponseGenerally,sherefusedtoexplainthemeaningofthestory.Shedidoncetellajournalist:“IsupposeIhoped,bysettingaparticularlybrutalriteinthepresentandinmyownvillage,toshockthereaderswithagraphicdemonstrationofthepointlessviolenceandgeneralinhumanityoftheirownlives[but]Igatherthatinsomecasesthemindjustrebels.ThenumberofpeoplewhoexpectedMrs.HutchinsontowinaBendixwasherattheendwouldamazeyou.〞AncientRitualSacrificeInancientAthens,Greece,Atheniansbelievedthathumansacrificepromisedfertilecrops.Bytransferringone'ssinstopersonsoranimalsandthensacrificingthem,peoplebelievedthattheirsinswouldbeeliminated,aprocessthathasbeentermed"scapegoat"AsimilarritualsacrificeoccurswithTessieHutchinson.Thisexplainsthevillagemember'sremark,“LotteryinJune,cornbeheavysoon.〞ScapegoatScapegoat-Thisisaperson,group,orthingassignedresponsibilityfortheperceivedfaultsofagivensociety.Thetermhasmanyrootsintheancientworld.Inmoderntimestheholocaustisoftenpointedtoasanexampleofscapegoatingbywhich6millionsJewswerekilledunderdirectionofAdolfHitler.HitlerplayedonpopularsentimentinhiscountryatthetimebyblamingJewsforthelossofthefirstworldwarandtheeconomicwoesofGermany.HistoricalContext“TheLottery〞waswrittenin1948.AfterWorldWarIIAmericanstendedtoimitatethosearoundthemratherthanfollowtheirownseparatepaths.Encouragingthisconformitywasthespreadoftelevision,whichbroadcastthesamesetofimagestoAmericansscatteredthroughthecountry.Inpolitics,peoplefearedthespreadofCommunism,leadingtotheUn-AmericanActivitiesCommittee,theHollywoodblacklist,andby1950,McCarthy’sCommunist“witchhunt〞Inthestory,thetownspeoplearesweptawaybythetideofconformity,andthelotterygoesaheadasalways.HistoricalContextBy1943newsoftheNaziconcentrationcampshadfinallyreachedAmerica.AnumberofAmericansrespondedwithhorrorandconcernthatcommunitiescouldhavestoodbyandsilentlyallowedtheHolocausttooccur.

Jacksonhintsatasimilarsituationinherstorywhenthetownspeopleareunabletofullyquestionorpreventthebrutallotterypractice,andinfact,participateinit.BiblicalAllusion“TheLottery〞alludestotheBiblicalstoryinwhichJesusfreesanadulterouswoman,directingwhoiswithoutsintocastthefirststone.Noonethrowsstonesather.Unfortunately,noonein“TheLottery〞stopsthisstoning.Tessiebecomestheirscapegoat;shepaysfortheirsins.RitualwithoutmeaningBecausetherehas"alwaysbeenalottery“,thevillagersfeelcompelledtocontinuethishorrifyingtradition.Theyfocusonitsgruesomenature,forthey"stillrememberedtousestones"evenaftertheyhave"forgottentheritualandlosttheoriginalblackbox“.Thestorymaybesayingthatsocietytendstowardviolenceinsteadofsociety'sneedforcivilizedtraditions.MobviolenceThehorribleactionsexhibitedingroups(suchasthestoningofMrs.Hutchinson)donottakeplaceontheindividuallevel,forindividuallysuchactionwouldbecalled"murder."

Onthegrouplevel,peopleclassifytheiratrociousactsimplyas"ritual."

WhenMrs.Hutchinsonarrivesattheceremonylate,shechatssociablywithMrs.Delacroix.ButafterMrs.Hutchinsonfallsvictimtothelotteryselection,Mrs.Delacroixchoosesa"stonesolarge"thatshemustpickitupwithbothhands.Ontheindividuallevel,thetwowomenregardeachotherasfriends,butonthegrouplevel,theybetraythatrelationship,satisfyingthemobmentality.

SymbolismBlack:

Thecolorfordeath,mourning,punishmentTheblackboxusedtodrawlotsandtheslipofpaperwithablackmarkpointingoutthe'winner'arementionedtoofrequentlytobecoincidental.SymbolismBlackbox:Coffin?Evilsecrethiddenaway?Blackspotonpaper:Sin?A“blackmark〞onone’srecordisnegative;blackmark:unclean?SymbolismBlackBox–

Theboxisold;thepaintispeeling,andthewoodissplintered.Thisconditionreflectsthefadingofthetraditioninothervillagesaswellasthevillager'squestioningofthelotteryinthisvillage.However,theywillnotreplacethebox,justliketheywillnotstopthelottery.SymbolismTheLotteryItself:

SymbolizesanynumberofsocialproblemsthatweblindlycontinueeventhoughtheyareoutdatedThesetting:

nospecificname/placeindicatesthisisanytown,USA;thecontrastofthetownwiththeritualhelpsbuildsuspenseSymbolism:NamesSummers:theseasonofsummerisassociatedwithyouth,strength,growth,primeoflife,warmth,leisure,prosperity,happiness,blooming,blossomingGraves:theobviousgrave=placeofentombment/deathGrave=serious;hintsthatthelotterymaynotbeafrivolouscontest(“Mr.Gravessaidgravely〞)CriticshavesaidthatJacksoncreatesbalancebyhavingMr.SummersandMr.Gravesshareintheresponsibilitiesoftheritual:Lifebringsdeath,anddeathrecycleslife.ParableManybelieve“TheLottery〞tobeamodern-dayparable—astorythatpresentsamorallessonthroughcharacterswhorepresentideas.Thefocusinaparableis