Abstract the Lottery by Shirley Jackson - 2321 Words

Lateisha Davis Professor Coleman English 101 (2503) 25 July 2012 Abstract for â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson Although Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery† is widely read, it has received little critical review in the decades since it was published. This analysis of the text illuminates Jackson’s intertwining of the story’s theme, point of view and language. One finds that each of these three an integral part depends on the other. One must examine Jackson’s linguistic techniques in order to understand how the point of view is so effective in constructing the story’s theme. Her linguistic techniques include: the use of the article â€Å"the,† the lack of adverbs and adjectives in the syntactic†¦show more content†¦The reader’s sense of appropriateness is violated, therefore, when the narrator does not prepare the reader for the tragic outcome with language that would signal the reader to expect the ending. Jackson uses the reader’s own prejudices in her process of making the reader. The narrator’s initial description of the characters creates the reader’s surprise at the story’s horrifying ending as well as the perpetuation of his presumptions. The narrator does not describe the people as barbaric, backward heathens; they are simply â€Å"the people of the village.† Eventually the reader learns the people’s names: Jones, Hutchinson, Delacroix, Summers, Martin, Dunbar, Graves. However, the names are multi-cultural, and without a physical description of the people, the reader is left with an unbiased opinion of the participants. The only insight the reader has into the characters is the sparse dialogue; the reader is not privileged to the thoughts of the characters. Therefore, the narrator has forced the reader to proceed with his own prejudices of a lottery as an innocent affair and the people as just average, simple people. Jackson realizes if the reader sees the people in the story as ordinary people, the impact of their brutality will be greater. The reader may identify with the characters throughout the story because their personalities are non-imposing, and with the lack of them, they could be anyone: even the reader. When the narrator describes the boys ofShow MoreRelatedDeliberate Authorial Choices By Shirley Jackson1668 Words   |  7 Pagestheir whole career developing techniques to create a style that is their own. Shirley Jackson shows the reader her talent in writing a pessimistic short story that she is most famous for. Her famous short story â€Å"The Lottery† is one to keep the reader interested not only in the content but in the way she presents it and the emotional toll that it has on the readers. The story follows a town which partakes in a ritualistic lottery. Each household draws from a black box and whomever draws the black circleRead MoreThe Rocking Horse Winner By. 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