Conflict Faced in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" I feel that Shirley Jackson uses a simple story to
explain how people in our society face conflict with society and with fate. Shirley Jackson was a
good and very successful writer during her time. She wrote many children's books, novels, and short
stories. In this paper I am going to analyze the conflict that is faced between the protagonist an
d society, and the conflict that the protagonist faces with fate. Biography "The Lottery" is a short
story written by Shirley Jackson. Jackson was born on December 14, 1919 to Leslie and Geraldine Ja
ckson (About). Two years after Shirley was born her family along with her newborn brother moved to B
urlingame, California from San Francisco, about thirty miles away. As a child Shirley was intereste
d in both sports and literature. In 1934 she entered the liberal arts program at the University of
Rochester. After periods of being unhappy she withdrew from the university, and began writing for a
year. In 1937 Jackson decided to go back to school and she enter Syracuse University. After gradua
ting from Syracuse in 1940, Shirley married Stanley Edgar Hyman. While raising four kids Shirley st
ill found time to write and in 1948 came her biggest success; "The Lottery" was published and it bro
ught her fame and abuse at the same time. In 1948 Shirley and her family moved to Connecticut. Whi
le continuing to write Shirley began to suffer from anxiety attacks. "On the afternoon of August 8,
1965, Shirley Jackson went upstairs to take her usual nap. However, this time, Jackson did not awa
ke."(Friedman 40). Historical Significance I believe that by using the lottery in this short story t
he author is showing a form of killing. Like the holocaust the Jews and the other people that the G
ermans killed were killed against their will and for no reason. In "The Lottery" the townspeople ar
e killed against their will and for no reason. In the story Mr. Summers is like the German doctors
in the holocaust because they had the power of life and death, and that is what he has in the power
of the black box. Synopsis In a little village the villagers gather together in the central square f
or the annual lottery. There is a lot excitement and interest as the rituals of the event proceed. T
he familiar discussion of current and everyday happenings in village life is intermingled with conve
rsations on the traditional and modern ways of holding the lottery. There are also remarks on how o
ther towns in the area have stopped holding a lottery. There are mixed emotions on how other towns
have stopped holding the lottery. The lottery finally begins, with the much-anticipated fear that i
t presents to the towns people. Finally a winning family is chosen by ballot, and from that family
a winning member--Mrs. Hutchinson. The villagers, including her family members, then start the ritua
l of stoning the winner, which is Mrs. Hutchinson. Analysis Shirley Jackson uses the lottery very we
ll to explain the two different conflicts. The first conflict involves the protagonist, Mrs. Hutchi
nson and society. Mrs. Hutchinson agreed with society as long as it didn't affect her. Once societ
y affected her she did not want to be a part if the society. During the drawing she had no problem
with the lottery, but once her family was picked it was her problem. Once she realized that she cou
ld be the "winner" of the lottery she started to make up excuses. She said, "'I think we ought to st
art over,' Mrs. Hutchinson said, as quietly as she could. 'I tell you it wasn't fair. You didn't giv
e him time enough to choose. Everybody saw that'"(Jackson 163). This is an example of how she start
ed to freak out after she realized that she could get killed. I think this story shows how a person
can act when they are attacked by society. The second conflict is similar to the first; it is the c
onflict between the protagonist and fate. As in the holocaust similarity the Jews had could not con
trol their fate. They had to do whatever the German soldiers told them to do or they would be kille
d on the spot. The lottery is similar as in the chosen "winner" of the lottery can not choose not t
o take the prize of winning, they have to. The society makes them. Maybe Mrs. Hutchinson's fate wa
s changed when she showed up late to the lottery, but she could not do anything about what was going
to happen to her at the end of the lottery. Critique I enjoyed reading this short story. This is o
ne of the best short stories that I have read ever. "Shirley Jackson wrote in a variety of forms an
d styles because she was, like everyone else, a complex human being, confronting the world in many d
ifferent roles and moods. She tried to express as much of herself as possible in her work, and to e
xpress each aspect as fully and purely as possible" (Bloom 1995). Jackson uses simple words and doe
s not make the sentences to complicated, or hard to understand. I really liked how Shirley Jackson u
sed the many forms of conflict in her story. In the text there was one quote that really hit me hard
. "'It isn't fair, it isn't right,' Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her" (Jackson
162). It shows how the person that wins the lottery feels. It shows that they have a sudden chang
e of opinion on what the lottery is really about. I feel that Shirley Jackson shows that characters
do not like the lottery in other parts of this story, but this is the main sentence that shows how
the characters feel about it. I really enjoyed reading this story and would like to read other stor
ies by Shirley Jackson. Conclusion In this short story Shirley Jackson uses many different themes th
at she gives to you latently. I have just analyzed two of her themes: the first being the conflict
between protagonist and society, and the second being the conflict between the protagonist and fate.
I hope that you have learned how Shirley Jackson thinks when she is writing. Jackson wrote many s
tories during her career and this one was the best and the weirdest of all.
Work's Cited Page
Abo
ut Shirley Jackson. March 5, 2002. http://www.underthesun.cc/Classics/Jackson/. Friedman, Lenemaja.
Shirley Jackson. Twayne Publishers: Boston, 1975. Kibler, James E., Jr. Dictionary of Literary Biogr
aphy. 2 ed. Detroit, Michigan: 1980. Bloom, Harold. Twentieth-Century American Literature. 1 ed. Phi
ladelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery." The Lottery and Other S
tories. New York: The Noonday Press, 1991.
conflict faced shirley jackson lottery feel that shirle
y jackson uses simple story explain people society face conflict with society with fate shirley jack
son good very successful writer during time wrote many children books novels short stories this pape
r going analyze conflict that faced between protagonist society that protagonist faces with fate bio
graphy lottery short story written born december leslie geraldine about years after born family alon
g newborn brother moved burlingame california from francisco about thirty miles away child intereste
d both sports literature entered liberal arts program university rochester after periods being unhap
py withdrew from university began writing year decided back school enter syracuse university after g
raduating from syracuse married stanley edgar hyman while raising four kids still found time write c
ame biggest success lottery published brought fame abuse same time family moved connecticut while co
ntinuing write began suffer anxiety attacks afternoon august went upstairs take usual however this a
wake friedman historical significance believe using this short story author showing form killing lik
e holocaust jews other people germans killed were killed against their will reason townspeople kille
d against their will reason summers like german doctors holocaust because they power life death what
power black synopsis little village villagers gather together central square annual there excitemen
t interest rituals event proceed familiar discussion current everyday happenings village life interm
ingled conversations traditional modern ways holding there also remarks other towns area have stoppe
d holding there mixed emotions other towns have stopped holding finally begins much anticipated fear
presents towns people finally winning family chosen ballot winning member hutchinson villagers incl
uding members then start ritual stoning winner which hutchinson analysis uses very well explain diff
erent conflicts first involves protagonist hutchinson agreed long didn affect once affected want par
t during drawing problem once picked problem once realized could winner started make excuses said th
ink ought start over said quietly could tell wasn fair didn give enough choose everybody example sta
rted freak realized could think shows person when they attacked second similar first between fate ho
locaust similarity jews control their they whatever german soldiers told them would spot similar cho
sen winner choose take prize winning have makes them maybe changed when showed late anything about w
hat going happen critique enjoyed reading best stories read ever wrote variety forms styles because
like everyone else complex human being confronting world many different roles moods tried express mu
ch herself possible work express each aspect fully purely possible bloom uses simple words does make
sentences complicated hard understand really liked used many forms text quote really hard fair righ
t screamed then were upon shows person wins feels shows sudden change opinion what really feel chara
cters parts main sentence characters feel enjoyed reading would read stories conclusion different th
emes gives latently just analyzed themes first being between second hope learned thinks when writing
wrote during career best weirdest work cited page march http underthesun classics friedman lenemaja
twayne publishers boston kibler james dictionary literary biography detroit michigan bloom harold t
wentieth century american literature philadelphia chelsea house publishers york noonday pressEssay,
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