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Tradition of the theme essay of shirley jackson's the lottery

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The Lottery Vs Destructors Analysis

INTRODUCTION In this paper, we will compare and contrast “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Destructors” by Graham Greene. Both of these short stories find a common standpoint when focusing on realistic problems that we all could face in this day and age. But remaining unique, in its context and structure. The Lottery Vs. Destructors Both story plots transpire into unexpected turn of events rapidly. For instance in “The Lottery” the scenes changed from quiet laughter, and children playing to everyone in the town stoning Mrs. Hutchinson. Which can be compared to the scene in “The Destructors” when Mr. Thomas retunes from his trip early, and the boys must make a quick decision to abandon the house or destroy it. The basic conflict of “The Lottery” and “The Destructors” can be viewed as individual vs. society. “The Lottery” expounds upon one person’s struggle against the mass population of this small town. All the events are considered normal …show more content…

at a farming village somewhere in England. With three hundred residents “The Destructors” is set in the mid1950s, at the Wormsley common underground station. In a gloomy area where bombs had previously fallen, it’s more of a hopeless dark environment. Nothing like a warm sunny, day talked about in “The Lottery”. The themes of these two stories are completely different, for example The Lottery focuses on the out dated traditions of a small town. The story shows how tradition can be unhealthy if there not thought out, and uplifting for all involved and how ordinary people can be vicious and cruel. While “The Destructors main focus is on the misanthropy, and destructive mind-set of a teenage gang that destroys an old mans home. Other contrasting differences between these two short stories are the endings “The Lottery” was unpredictable while “The Destructors” had a constant unvarying flow until the

Tradition In 'The Lottery And Bloodflowers'

Both the stories depict the theme of the dangers of blindly following traditions as it can lead to the demise if innocent people. In both stories, the townspeople aimlessly follow their annual traditions because they are accustomed to the event. In “The Lottery”, Mr. Adams

The Lottery And Barn Burning Analysis

The View of Perception There are many unmistakable parallels between the two-short story’s “The Lottery” and “Barn Burning.” “The Lottery” is written by Shirley Jackson and takes place in a small town in America. The lottery is an annual ritual where all the families get together, the man of each family takes a paper with the possibility of that being marked which then means someone in the family will die. That is to say, a villager winning the lottery results in the other villagers stoning he or she to death. William Faulkner wrote the short story “Barn Burning.”

Examples Of Foreshadowing In The Lottery

Usually there’s a winner in a lottery, but not in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”. This story intrigued me by it's suspenseful nature and it's chaotic events. In small town America, they come together once a year to perform an annual tradition. Mrs. Jackson demonstrates literary devices such as foreshadowing, mood, and conflict in “The Lottery”. Foreshadowing is used quite a few times in “The Lottery”.

Compare And Contrast The Lottery Book And Movie

The Lottery is a short story about a town of people that will crowd and all the men will get a slip of paper all the paper is blank… besides one and that one has a black dot, so a lucky person will get it and if they have a kid older than 16 they have play this game, anyway the winner will get a “prize”. The Lottery story and The Lottery movie have many things that were different. The Lottery story is different from The Lottery movie by where it is located and where the event took place, such as in the story they were sacrificing someone in a large field while in the movie they were stopped by the building. If they didn’t have the building in the way she could have lived longer while if they did she would have died sooner.

The Lottery Harrison Bergeron Analysis

[ADD TITLE] [ADD QUOTE & EXPLAIN IT]. The Lottery, written by Shirley Jackson in 1948, is a contemporary teaching that is often referred to as a horror story whereas Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s story, Harrison Bergeron written in 1961, is seen as an eccentric satirical dystopian fiction. In The Lottery, the story takes place in a small rural town in which the person who draws the slip with a black dot on it, is to be stoned to death by the rest of the town members. On the other hand, Harrison Bergeron takes place in the year 2081 where everyone must be handicapped to maintain equality. Although Jackson’s The Lottery and Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron are based in two different time periods and settings, both convey similar criticisms that apply to our own lives.

Charles And The Lottery Comparison Essay

In, “Charles,” there is very little detail about what is going on around the characters. However, in, “The Lottery,” there is a lot of detail about how the town is, what they do in the square, what everyone is doing, and the current weather. Another difference is the tone. In, “Charles,” it is comical because funny things happen.

Symbolism And Irony In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

The short story “The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson, the plot in the story that it only gives people an account of drawing lots to determine the winner who shall be stoned to death for harvest. However, we get a deep impression of the characters and their fate after reading the story. Jackson indicated a prevalent theme, the indirect of characterization and using symbolism and irony to modify this horror story. The Allegorical story of “ The Lottery” is often regarded as a satire of human behavior and social institutions, and exemplifies some of the central themes of Jackson’s fiction, including the victimization of the individual by society, the tendency of people to be cruel, and the presence of evil in everyday life.

Examples Of Irony In The Lottery

The short story “The Lottery” is written by Shirley Jackson. This story takes place in a small village where everybody knows each other. In this story all the villagers gather around town for their annual lottery. Everyone in the village is compelled to follow this tradition even if the outcome ends up with someone dying. In “The Lottery”, Shirley Jackson uses conflict, theme, and irony to develop this suspenseful short story.

The Hunger Games And The Lottery Comparison Essay

“The Lottery” is a short story that employs devices such as symbolism, dialogue, and inner thinking. “The Hunger Games” is a novel that uses craft moves such as description, symbolism, and dramatic irony. In “The lottery.” Jackson uses symbolism to set up the problem. While in “The Hunger Games,” Collins uses symbolism throughout the story to stir empathy.

Symbolism And Themes In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson

“The Lottery” is an realism/horror story written by Shirley Jackson. The story is about some villagers of a small New England town who follow the tradition of making a lottery every year. When it comes, they like to celebrate it with the correct rules and the correct objects so they can feel more comfortable. Everyone need to take a slip of paper from a small black box, and the paper with a black dot in it means that the family is the winner, then they raffle again; Bill Hutchinson, who was the husband of the protagonist Tessie Hutchinson picked a paper with a black dot in it, that meant that Tessie was the winner of the lottery, then she starts complaining because the drawing was not conducted properly. At the end, the townspeople moved off to a cleared spot outside the town and they begin stoning her to death (Jackson).

Symbolism And Realism In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

The story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a short story of horror and realism. On June 27th on a late summer morning, the villagers of a small New England village gatherd together in the town square to conduct their annual lottery. There is a black box on a stool and in the box there is pieces of paper in the box. Each person from a family get one paper from the black box even the children get a piece of paper and every stayed quiet and nervouse. Then Bill Hutchinson looked at the paper and notice that he got the black dot.

Literary Analysis Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

“The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson is a very suspenseful, yet very shocking short story. This story is set in a small village, on a hot summers day in June. Flowers are blooming, and the towns people are gathering for the lottery, which is a tradition the town does every year. As the reader reads the first paragraph they think this is a happy story. The title also says, “The Lottery” which is a word often used for winning something or receiving a prize.

The Lottery Tradition Essay

The Lottery itself represents a primal example of loss of innocence; portrayed through the young boys who gather at the town square to collect rocks for the horrors soon to follow. An illustration of how traditions can lose their true meanings and come to represent violence and warfare. Furthermore, “The Lottery” also represents the decaying characteristics of traditions, as symbolized by the town’s black box, in this case where every year, someone’s name is drawn out of the black box and they are stoned to death, by other members who may or may not end up to be family. Nonetheless, it ends up to be the villagers who

The Use Of Tone In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

“The Lottery” is a portentous work of fiction than transcends its

Feminist Criticism In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Its human nature to turn a blind eye to injustice inflicted into others. In the ‘’The Lottery’’ by Shirley Jackson, the author tells a complex story about how a simple lottery took place in a small town changing the lives, and fates of its inhabitants. Jackson main focus in the story is Feminism Criticism to illustrated the misogynistic views in ‘’The Lottery’’. In the story, the author uses the treatment of the females characters against its male counter parts to illustrate how women are view as second-class citizens, and how disrespected, and stereotypical they are. An example of this is showed in the very beginning of the story, where Jackson writes ‘’ against the raids of the other boys.

More about The Lottery Vs Destructors Analysis

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• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The New Yorker
• Shirley Jackson
• White people

The Lottery vs the Destructors Essay examples

Thesis In Shirley Jackson’s, “The Lottery”, and Graham Greene’s “The Destructors”, the author creates a story filled with symbolism, irony, grim reality, and a ritualized tradition that masks evil, which ultimately showcases how people blindly follow tradition. Outline I. Introduction II. Setting B. Time Period III. Plot A. What messages are seen in both stories IV. Characters A. Main Characters B. Traits of Characters V. Tone of Stories VI. Conclusion Comparison and Contrast of The Lottery and The Destructors W. Goode English102 Liberty University Comparison and …show more content…

Likewise Greene's literary piece is set in postwar London, “The gang used to meet every morning in an impromptu car park, the site of the last bomb of the first blitz” (Greene, 1990, p.3). Nothing in both stories foreshadows any act of violence as a ritual murder or destruction of the house. Moreover, in The Lottery and The Destructors, the setting greatly influences characters of the stories. For instance, in The Lottery, a traditional ritual is performed almost for seventy-seven-years among disturbing piles of stones gathered by all citizens of the villages, which metaphorically symbolize violence. Compared to Jackson's story, in The Destructors, young boys meet and carelessly play in a place where recently the bomb was dropped. While hanging out among wreckages of destruction, the young characters become initiated to act violently. As the plot of the stories unfolds, the greater influence of violent tensions become evident. In The Lottery, people follow the tradition despite its cruelty and absurdity. Although the ritual of the lottery is brutal, the dwellers of the village do not seem to see how barbaric it is because “there’s always been a lottery” (Jackson, 1982, p. 118). Nevertheless, the tensions grow when the lottery begin and every citizen is awaiting for its end. The climatic moment of the story grows when the reader discovers that Tess

The Lottery Rhetorical Analysis

Shirley Jackson is often regarded as one of the most brilliant authors of the twentieth century. Born in San Francisco in 1916, she spent the majority of her adolescence writing short stories and poetry (Allen). While she is known best for her supernatural stories, one of her most popular works is a short story called “The Lottery”. The lottery takes place in a small village in which once a year on June 24th, the town population is gathered. After the gathering, there is a drawing to see which family is chosen, after the family is chosen, another drawing takes place to see who is stoned to death. In the New Yorker's magazine book review hailed “The Lottery” as “one of the most haunting and shocking short stories of modern America and is one of the most frequently anthologized” (Jackson). This review stems heavily from Jackson’s brilliant use of irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing. However, perhaps what truly stands out is how Jackson is able to wrap all of those elements together as a way to show an overarching theme of the corruption that exists in human nature. While the real source of “The Lottery’s” inspiration is unclear, there has been heavy speculation that the roots lie heavily in the actions of the holocaust and the actions that took place during World War II. Regardless of the source material, a general consensus can be made that the plot of the lottery is a dark reflection of human actions.

“the Destructors” and “the Lottery” Fiction Essay

Comparing the two stories regarding regional writing, “The Destructors” setting was inspired by Greene’s own geographical location and his own experiences regarding World War II. In Jackson’s “The Lottery”, the location is vaguer. She paints a picture of a small rural farming type town and didn’t seem to draw inspiration from places she herself has lived. Jackson tells us in an interview that the story came to her rather quickly and tells how it came about. Jackson says, “I had the idea fairly clearly in my mind when I put my daughter in her playpen and the frozen vegetables in the refrigerator and, writing the story, I found that it went quickly and easily, moving from beginning to end without pause. As a matter of fact, when I read it over later I decided that except for one or two minor corrections, it needed no changes, and the story I finally typed up and sent off to my agent the next day was almost word for word the original draft.” Jackson’s main point was to shock its readers, “with a graphic dramatization of the

Essay Comparing Most Dangerous Game And The Lottery

The short stories “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson are both very alike yet very different. Throughout the short stories “The Most Dangerous Game” and “The Lottery”, Connell and Jackson use a tone of casualness to develop the theme of senseless killings in an established society.

Omelas And The Lottery Dystopia Essay

The Lottery is another story of a seemingly perfect town that sacrifices one for the sake of many, but in this instance, the sacrifice is in vain because it is just a superstitious tradition. The citizens of this town were blinded by tradition and rituals of the town even though many have forgotten why they do the lottery. Jackson shows this when she wrote, “The lottery was conducted--as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program--by Mr. Summers. who had time and energy to devote to civic activities” (The Lottery 1). It likens these common and cheerful events such as dances and Halloween programs to the sacrificing of an innocent person to better their year. The village seemed so calm and peaceful, but they were still inclined to sin and did not feel much guilt when stoning. The Lotter depicts a dystopian society because a person is being immorally killed every year and no one is stopping it. The event has become dull and repetitive but is still being followed by the families in The Lottery. This theme is very common in dystopian societies and is shown in the evilness of the Lottery.

The Use of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay

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Within the first few lines of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" we are faced with such adjectives as clear, sunny, fresh and warmth. She goes on to paint a picture of small children just out of school for the summer, as the townspeople gather for the annual Lottery. This leads us to believe that the rest of the story is as cheery as the summer day initially described. We as the readers are virtually unaware of the horrible senseless events that lie ahead. Through the use of symbolism Shirley Jackson reveals the underlying decay of ethics that results from an empty ritual followed by narrow-minded people.

Inhumanity In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

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Once upon a time there was a little village. In this village three hundred people happily farmed and played and went about their business. The children went to school while the men cut wood or farmed, and the women cooked and cleaned. Every summer in June each of villagers took part in the traditional lottery drawing and one villager was picked for the prize – a stoning. In 1948, Shirley Jackson published this short story known as “The Lottery,” in The New York Times. The story’s plot shocked readers all over America as they learned of the horror happening in such a quaint town. Jackson purposely set this tragic event in this innocent setting to emphasize humanity’s cruelty. Using her appalling short story, The Lottery,

Similarities Between The Destructors And The Lottery

In the two short stories, “The Destructors” by Graham Greene and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, are great conflict, a twisting and turning plot, symbolism, irony, and abrupt and unexpected endings of devastation leaving the characters is ruins and the readers in awe. From the beginning in both stories, the setting seemed to be of a normal manner for the characters. Their society around them has molded them into what they have become and help set their series of events that they act out. For “The Lottery” it is tradition that keeps the lottery going even though some other villages have abolished it, and with the “The Destructors” it is the conformity of the present situation that cause the adolescent boys act out in small town mischief.

Similarities Between The Lottery And The Destructors

“The Lottery” and “The Destructors” have different settings. “The Lottery” takes place on June 27th. The time of year is summer so the weather is hot, humid and sunny. “Flowers blossoming and grass is green” (Jackson). Also, all the village people gather together on June 27th so that the lottery may take place. Although Jackson wants the readers to seem like “The Lottery” is a friendly and cheerful story, the readers begin to read further and further into the story and being to understand in reality, the lottery is sorrowful. Jackson wanted the keep the readers intrigued, so she made the setting cheerful and positive until the end. “The Destructors” takes place on a Sunday morning. The sun is covered by stormy clouds. The ground is wet and the wind begins to make swirls of dust under the trees. Mr. Thomas’s house is beautiful and 200 years old. As the author relays detailed information to the readers, the readers begin to feel a sense of uncertainty and question. The setting affects the theme of the story because random destruction is often dark and gloomy. Greene created a great scene that lined up with the theme. When Green was explaining the setting, he was foreshadowing the destruction of Mr. Thomas’s house. Although “The Lottery” and “The Destructors” had

Should The Lottery Be Kept Alive

In a dystopian village, “A stone hit her in the side of the head. It isn’t fair, it isn’t right, Mrs. Hutchinson screamed and then they were upon her” (7). Keeping the tradition of the lottery alive means that the members of Tessie’s family, her friends, and the villagers will stone her to death. Tessie Hutchinson is the unluckiest person this year, having won the lottery. The theme of “The Lottery” is that there are some traditions that should not be kept alive.

The Use Of Characterization In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

When a loving, caring, family oriented, women come in conflict with the horrible, despicable, inhumane lottery in a situation in which the town goes together, the results may be a terrible end in a young life. In “The Lottery” written by, Shirley Jackson, the main character Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson’s and the town folk are the main characters of this story. In “The Lottery” Shirley Jackson uses the use of characterization to portray the main ideas of the story. Shirley Jackson also uses the use of plot structure and the point of view in which the story is being told. The Lottery is a way to make a sacrifice for a good harvest in the upcoming season.

Essay on Shirley Jackson's The Lottery - Message of Social Responsibility

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    Often, we paint a fairytale view of life for ourselves and our children. Sometimes, an author paints a frightfully realistic picture of life and forces us to reconsider the fairytale. In Shirley Jackson’s story, "The Lottery," a town each year conducts a lottery in which the winner or looser, in this case, is stoned to death by his or her own neighbors. The tradition is supposed to uphold social structure within the town, but in order to comprehend the true meaning of the story you must be able to read between the lines. "The Lottery" is a story about a town that has let its traditions go too far. Also, it is clear that the story contains eye-opening facts that lead me to

Essay on The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is a story littered with warnings and subtext about the dangers a submissive society can pose. While the opening is deceptively cheery and light Jackson uses an array of symbols and ominous syntax to help create the apprehensive and grim tone the story ends with. Her portrayal of the town folk as blindly following tradition represents the world during World War II when people’s failure to not mindlessly accept and heed authority lead to disastrous consequences. . Shirley Jackson uses a large array of techniques to help convey the idea that recklessly following and accepting traditions and orders can lead to disastrous consequences.

Essay about The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson

In an attempt to portray the graphic realities of life during this time period, Shirley Jackson cleverly expresses the grim facts with her use of literary techniques. Though greatly criticized for its inhumane pictorial of callous brutality, Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” illustrates through the characterization of Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson, the use of atmosphere, and allegorical writing that violence exists in all places and though viewed as a necessary evil by some, peace ought to be the sought after tradition in such a wicked world.

Summary On The Allegory Of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

Shirley Jackson’s story “The Lottery” serves as an allegory regarding humankinds inherent to be cruel and society’s ability to inure to violence. The author’s use of a third-person dramatic narrative combined with strong themes, symbols and irony clearly supports the lesson Jackson was trying to portray. Jackson’s short story shows how easy it is to be hostile when a group of villagers with a herd mentality blindly follow an outdated tradition and that evil knows no boundaries.

Research Paper on Shirley Jackson's “The Lottery”

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Shirley Jackson's “The Lottery” is a short story about the annual gathering of the villagers to conduct an ancient ritual. The ritual ends in the stoning of one of the residents of this small village. This murder functions under the guise of a sacrament that, at one time, served the purpose of ensuring a bountiful harvest. This original meaning, however, is lost over the years and generations of villagers. The loss of meaning has changed the nature and overall purpose of the lottery. This ritual is no longer a humble sacrifice that serves the purpose of securing the harvest but instead is a ceremony of violence and murder only existing for the pleasure found in this violence.

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• Short story
• Shirley Jackson

Compare And Contrast The Lottery And The Destructors

Show More The short stories “The Lottery” and “The Destructors” are made up of great details that help to form the scenes in the reader’s mind. One story creating profound images of a beautiful, small town concealed in flowers and exhausted tradition; while the other story constructs a reflection of a boyhood gang’s decaying car-park hang-out surrounded by debris and dilapidated buildings. Even though the short stories “The Lottery” and “The Destructors” leave the reader wanting a better understanding of the purpose of the character’s actions, both stories do provide enough foreshadowing for the reader to understand what the conclusions of the stories could be. Foreshadowing plays a major part in both stories, but more so in “The Lottery”. The piling …show more content… Shirley Jackson, the author of the “The Lottery” describes the setting of her story as “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (Kennedy & Gioia 2007, p. 221). Jackson never formally gives a name for the town, but the amount of vivid detail provided is more than enough to form the scene in one’s mind. When Graham Greene wrote the short story “The Destructors”, he settled his story during the weekend of August Bank Day in Wormesley Common, England, nine years after World War II, amidst bomb site destruction. Both authors provided very detailed settings, but “The Lottery” has more vivid details, laying out the scene …show more content… The narrator of “The Lottery” is a third person or objective omniscient narrator, meaning that he or she tells the story by going through the step-by-step version of events. A limited or selective omniscient narrator is how a reader could describe the narrator of “The Destructors”. The narrator in this story only knows the thoughts and feelings of some characters. The limited omniscience of the narrator was exposed when Greene wrote “T. stood with his back to the rubble like a boxer knocked groggy against the ropes” (Greene, 2016), and when the narrator was able to reveal the feelings of Blackie when he stepped down as leader of the gang. It’s revealed in these instances that the narrator could see into the minds of some of the characters, but not into the mind of

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First and foremost, the use of the color black plays an important role in this story. Black is culturally used to portray darkness, evil, and death. With the removal of light, darkness prevails. The black box that people draw the slip of paper for the lottery is one of the objects that Shirley Jackson uses to foreshadow the end of the story. The black box represents the tradition of the lottery in that village.…

Utilitarianism In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson is the author of the short story called “The Lottery.” When reading this story, the reader could possibly believe that they are able to foresee the ending. “The Lottery” takes place in a small town, with a population of about three hundred people, on June 27 at ten in the morning. Jackson provides the reader with visuals that range from the town gathering and getting ready for the lottery to the town kids playing outside and collecting rocks. The importance of this lottery is that is not what it comes off to be, instead it is an act of sacrifice that is believed to be important in order to keep society stable.…

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• Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”: Elements of the Story
• A Comparison of The Lottery and the Destructors Short Stories
• “The Lottery” a Short Story by Shirley Jackson
• Suspense Narrative in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
• Literary Analysis of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery
• The Veldt and “The Lottery”: Insights and Value
• Forget Tradition: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
• Shirley Jackson’s Short Story “The Lottery”
• “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson: A Short Masterpiece
• Historical Criticism of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
• “The Lottery” and “Cleveland and It Hurts”
• “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson: A Literary Analysis

Literature Studies of “The Destructor” and “The Lottery” Essay

Introduction, clarifying the assumptions of the paper, how readers would interpret the story, the difference in moral tone, reference list.

This paper examines various aspects related to the stories “The Lottery” and “The Destructors” and attempts to examine the similarities and the differences inherent in either story.

Thesis Statement: The lack of detail concerning the reason why Trevor wanted to destroy the house of Mr. Misery or why Tessie was stoned was an intentional facet to let the readers develop their own theories regarding the origin of the actions that were done.

When examining both essays, it is immediately apparent that one common theme between the two is the utter senselessness in the actions committed by the character in the stories. For instance, in the story “The Destructors” a group of boys apparently thought it was fine to destroy home on the basis that it would be fun and that it would increase the reputation of the gang.

Such an act does not make a shred of sense; even if it was done for “the fun of it”. The same can be said about the ending of the story “The Lottery” wherein it is implied that the people of the village stone to the death the character of Tessie Hutchinson because she received a piece of paper with a black spot on it.

When examining the reasoning behind either action, the background behind the stories is severely lacking when it comes to creating any sufficient basis. It is the assumption of this paper that in both stories, the lack of detail concerning the reason why Trevor wanted to destroy the house of Mr. Misery or why Tessie was stoned was an intentional facet to let the readers develop their own theories regarding the origin of the actions that were done.

It can be seen in both essays that it is up to the reader to imagine why the characters in the story acted the way they did. As a result, this what makes both stories rather enjoyable to read since it makes readers think about the reason behind the actions behind the characters in the story after they have finished reading it (Feldmann, 1982).

It is the “gap” in the stories, so to speak, that sparks the interest of the reader since, unlike a mystery novel that slowly reveals the basis behind the mystery, the series of actions that lead up to the illogical events in either story is not revealed (Evans, 1997). This helps to instill a great deal of curiosity in the reader as they reread events in order to determine why either illogical act in the stories occurred.

Barring the presence of any relevant information, it is normally the case that a person reading the story would attempt some form of fanciful conjecture in order to fill in the blanks and rectify what they believe is a needed detail. For instance, maybe the reason why the people stoned Tessie Hutchinson to death was that the village used to be overpopulated in the past and this was one way of controlling the population.

It was implied within the story that other villages in the nearby areas had already stopped the practice, which could imply that appropriate methods of population control had already been set (Evans, 1997).

On the other end of the spectrum, maybe the reason why Trevor had wanted to tear down the home of Old Man Misery was that he learned some sort of secret from him.

Mr. Misery could have been a spy from Germany or had willingly sided with the invading forces since it was implied in the story that it occurred in the years after World War 2.

Another possible meaning behind the actions of Trevor could be related to the fact that he had been sexually abused by Mr. Misery and that he was merely far too ashamed to admit it. It is this and other possible factors that help to enhance the story since it presents the question “what if” to the readers.

The main difference between the two stories is the implied moral tone that pervades the development of events.

In the case of “The Lottery”, it is not implied until the very end that something truly horrendous was going to happen, however, when it came to “The Destructors” very early on in the story it was already showcased how the various characters would go about and perform a distinctly immoral deed (i.e. tear a man’s house down without permission) (Gorecki, 1985).

While both stories are great examples of the senselessness behind certain actions, the moral implications behind the actions are brought up differently.

For instance, in the case of “The Lottery” most of the townsfolk do not seem to bring up the moral ambiguity of stoning someone to death for no apparent reason. When it came to “The Destructors”, various characters seem to question the morality of destroying the house of Mr. Misery yet do so anyway.

Based on what has been presented, it can be seen that the lack of detail concerning the reason why Trevor wanted to destroy the house of Mr. Misery or why Tessie was stoned was an intentional facet to let the readers develop their theories regarding the origin of the actions that were done.

However, it should be noted that the stories attempting to showcase this particular type of behavior do so in different ways which make them similar in how they make a reader think about the back story of the events yet are different in the way in which they choose to bring about such a method of introspection (Evans, 1997).

Evans, R. C. (1997). The lottery. Short Fiction: A Critical Companion , 112-119

Feldmann, H. (1982). The idea of history in Graham Greene’s ‘the destructors’. Studies In Short Fiction , 19 (3), 241.

Gorecki, J. J. (1985). Graham Greene’s ‘The Destructors’ and Paradise Lost. Papers On Language & Literature , 21 (3), 336.

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IvyPanda. (2020, March 16). Literature Studies of "The Destructor" and "The Lottery". https://ivypanda.com/essays/literature-studies-of-the-essays-the-destructor-and-the-lottery/

"Literature Studies of "The Destructor" and "The Lottery"." IvyPanda , 16 Mar. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/literature-studies-of-the-essays-the-destructor-and-the-lottery/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Literature Studies of "The Destructor" and "The Lottery"'. 16 March.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Literature Studies of "The Destructor" and "The Lottery"." March 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/literature-studies-of-the-essays-the-destructor-and-the-lottery/.

1. IvyPanda . "Literature Studies of "The Destructor" and "The Lottery"." March 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/literature-studies-of-the-essays-the-destructor-and-the-lottery/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Literature Studies of "The Destructor" and "The Lottery"." March 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/literature-studies-of-the-essays-the-destructor-and-the-lottery/.

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• The Meaning of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson Words: 1679
• The Lottery Analysis: Essay on Shirley Jackson’s Short Story Words: 1285
• Shirley Jackson’s Story “The Lottery” Analysis Words: 1738
• Symbolism in The Lottery Story by Shirley Jackson Words: 857
• “The Lottery” the Short Story by Shirley Jackson Words: 858
• Manipulation and Distorted Traditions: Analysis of “The Lottery” by Jackson Words: 888
• Narration in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” Words: 1676
• The Lottery Essay: Literary Analysis Example Words: 1782
• Themes of Humanism in Jackson’s “The Lottery” Story Words: 888
• Literary Analysis of Jackson’s The Lottery Story Words: 1733
• Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery: Imagery, Foreshadowing, & Symbolism Words: 1521

“The Lottery” and “The Destructors”: Conflict, Characterization and Irony

Introduction, characterization.

This paper will be focused on analyzing, comparing, and contrasting two short stories. The first one is “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, and the second is “The Destructors” by Graham Greene. The pieces share some similarities in terms of their approaches and themes, making them well-suited for comparison. The essay will discuss the main conflicts of each respective story, their characterization, and themes. An overall goal is to show how two distinct stories approach similar themes and subjects in their respective narratives.

Each story details a completely different situation, but the overarching conflicts are similar. Both scenarios in these books are extremely exaggerated and unrealistic, clashing with a down-to-earth presentation. The discrepancy in both pieces comes from a difference between expectation and reality. The stories carefully build up tension, subverting the expectations of both the characters and the audience. In “The Lottery”, the plot revolves around the people from a small village holding a lottery. The author meticulously describes the townsfolk, stating their names and paying much attention to how the event itself is held and organized. Conflict of the story comes from the audience’s and the character’s anticipation of the lottery’s results. The village people are immersed in the process and adhere to it as a long-standing tradition, while the reader is driven by curiosity and investment in the plot. The plot of “The Destructors”, on the other hand, follows an English gang of young boys that dedicate their time to committing pranks. The story manages to subvert the expectations of the Old Man and the reader by completely destroying the house by the end of the story, which can be considered a rather bold move.

In regards to characterization, both pieces masterfully build their characters throughout the course of their stories. In “The Lottery”, every villager that is mentioned is given a name, and the central characters have time to show the reader their dispositions about the event. Mr. Summers, the man conducting the lottery is shown as a diligent man and one of the community leaders for the village (Jackson, 1948). Old Man Warner is another character the audience gets to know. His major contribution to the story is arguing with younger people about the necessity of the lottery. He believes it is an essential part of their lives, and abandoning the lottery will lead to the degradation of society. Judging from the fact that his opinions are not ridiculed, the reader can assume that many of the villagers hold similar beliefs and want to follow the established conventions. In the case of “The Destructors”, most of the characterization is received by the boys of the Wormsley Common Gang. Each of the members has some distinct character traits, with T. and Blackie being the most prominent. Blackie is a careful and strong leader of the group, directing the other’s course of action. A first, he has reservations about the newest recruit, T., but accepts him after a display of conviction (Greene, 1954). Blackie recognizes that T’s plan to destroy the house of Mr. Thomas can bring the boys much recognition. T. is a descendant of a wealthy family, carries himself seriously, and has the ability to take initiative. Convincing the other boys to destroy the house, he became a temporary leader of the gang. His motivations are beyond hate for the man, as he sees the situation as a way to challenge the concept of materialism. Both stories take their time to introduce and make the reader familiar with their characters, grounding the plot in reality, and immersing the audience into the events.

Irony persists as an important concept in both stories. While the two stories largely rely on building tension and subverting the expectations, the narratives are told in a serious, straightforward manner. The commitment to a descriptive, matter of fact tone creates an interesting contrast with the extreme actions of some characters. In the case of the first story, it comes from a contrast between the townsfolk awaiting the lottery’s results and Tessie Hutchinson’s reaction upon realizing she is a winner. She, similar to all others is excited, but soon changes her disposition once learning of her victory (Jackson, 1948). Her reaction shows the reader that the villagers enjoy seeing the suffering of others but are unhappy to be on the receiving end. In the case of the second story, Mr. Thomas’s desire to clean his shoes before entering the house is a source of irony, because the reader understands that the inside of the house is destroyed, and his actions have no point. T’s desire to give the old man a blanket to make him feel warmer is also quite ironic, considering that the boy is responsible for his home’s destruction.

Jackson, S. (1948) The Lottery . Web.

Greene, G. (1954). The Destructors . The Short Story Project. Web.

Cite this paper

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StudyCorgi. (2022, February 14). “The Lottery” and “The Destructors”: Conflict, Characterization and Irony. https://studycorgi.com/the-lottery-and-the-destructors-conflict-characterization-and-irony/

"“The Lottery” and “The Destructors”: Conflict, Characterization and Irony." StudyCorgi , 14 Feb. 2022, studycorgi.com/the-lottery-and-the-destructors-conflict-characterization-and-irony/.

StudyCorgi . (2022) '“The Lottery” and “The Destructors”: Conflict, Characterization and Irony'. 14 February.

1. StudyCorgi . "“The Lottery” and “The Destructors”: Conflict, Characterization and Irony." February 14, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/the-lottery-and-the-destructors-conflict-characterization-and-irony/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "“The Lottery” and “The Destructors”: Conflict, Characterization and Irony." February 14, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/the-lottery-and-the-destructors-conflict-characterization-and-irony/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "“The Lottery” and “The Destructors”: Conflict, Characterization and Irony." February 14, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/the-lottery-and-the-destructors-conflict-characterization-and-irony/.

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Ficton Essay Compare and Contrast - the Destructors and the Lottery

By: rbpilot1   •  September 23, 2018  •  Essay  •  932 Words (4 Pages)  •  2,840 Views

Fiction Essay

ENGL 102: Literature and Composition

Fall B 2018

Fiction Essay Thesis and Outline

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Destructors” by Graham Greene both show the dark side of human nature. “The Lottery” looks at it from a cultural standpoint while “The Destructors” focuses on the development of characters.

I. “The Lottery” and “The Destructors” focus on human cruelty towards others.

A. Both stories involve meaningless crimes.

B. Both stories depict the dark side of human nature.

II. “The Destructors” looks at character development.

A. The theme of leadership is consistently revisited in the story.

B. The characters of Blackie and Trevor are the focus.

III. “The Lottery” looks at culture as a cause of the human cruelty.

A. Culture and traditions are explained.

B. Death is the prize for the winner.

“The Lottery” and “The Destructors” have many things in common while still presenting them in different ways. “The Destructors,” which is written by Graham Greene, is a story that shows the effects of war and boyhood mischievousness and the needless destruction of another person’s property. “The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson starts out with what seems like a joyful event, but ends in needless human cruelty towards one person in the community. These authors are very talented in finding different ways of building the story, and keeping our attention, all the while not revealing the surprise twists that make the stories so great. They are able to show us how the situation that the characters live in shape their lives and lead them down the wrong path in life.

In “The Destructors,” we see those meaningless crimes orchestrated by the leadership of Trevor and Blackie. The story takes place in post-war England and looks at the shift and development of Trevor, or “T” as he is called in the story. We see the former leader, Blackie, fall from power but he still wants to remain as part of the gang. Even though he is no longer considered the leader, he still wants to be part of the big picture. He was willing to let go of his pride and ego in order to be connected to the infamous gang. In “The Destructors” each character’s background and personality is built up. The theme of leadership is brought up several times and we see it shift from the senior member of the gang, Blackie, to the newest and quietest member of the gang, Trevor. The fact that Trevor is the quiet type leads to a surprise twist in the plot. The way the author describes Trevor at first, and by simply looking at Trevor’s basic personality characteristics and age, one would not expect that he is capable of devising a plot to destroy Old Misery’s home. Old Misery is the name given to Mr. Thomas who is the innocent the victim this story. The author takes his time evolving the character so the reader can see Trevor’s true colors. The story unfolds depicting how Trevor becomes obsessed with destroying something of someone else. We see how important it is for both these characters to belong to a cause whether it’s good or bad, it is important to them. The reason for this is assumed because of the post-war environment and Trevor’s parents fall from grace.