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  • Essay / How ironic is the good village in Shirley Jackson's short story

    The story of "The Lottery" takes place in a small village, where everyone seems to know each other and everyone seems to know each other hear. This adds to the intrigue because we don't expect the people of such a pretty little village to do something as horrible as stoning someone to death every year for no reason. Small towns usually have the oldest traditions, and it wasn't very out of place for everyone to follow the tradition, even if no one knew what it meant. It was also stated that people forgot parts of the ritual but continued anyway. Most people in the village held their breath when a small child drew a card for the lottery, which meant that most of them did not want the lottery to take place. If it was a big city, the lottery would not have much effect, but the small village was very affected by the lottery because of the mob mentality. In big cities, it's almost impossible for everyone to follow. In small villages, where everyone knows each other, this is much more likely. This is seen in many small communities in our culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayThe title “The Lottery” could be considered ironic because usually people want to win the lottery. In popular culture, a lottery is an event in which millions of dollars are given away for free, making the prize coveted. Likewise, other versions of the lottery in our culture include drawing our names for some prize, not necessarily money. Either way, a lottery is something we want to win. In this short story, the lottery is not something you want to win at all. The villagers' ritual is that the winner must be stoned to death by the other villagers, simply because they drew a marked paper. This gives a twist to the story, because the author deceives us at the beginning. When she refers to the lottery, we automatically assume it's a good thing. The plot twist is that no one wants to win the lottery because, obviously, no one wants to die. The opening descriptions could be considered ironic because they describe a beautiful morning, where everything seems to have a happy vibe. There is no sign that anyone is about to be killed later. The name Graves could allude to the leader of the lottery, enticing people to try their luck. He finally sends the winner to his “grave”. Mr. Graves also owns the post office, which is ironic because instead of delivering good news, like through the post office, Mr. Graves delivers terrible news. Grave can also mean very dark or gloomy. Yet Mr. Graves is surprisingly happy and acts as if the lottery is a good thing. He's almost happy that someone has to die. The name Delacroix in French means “of the cross”. The Delacroix family did not win the lottery, thus avoiding the horror of being stoned by their friends. It is as if they are “protected” by the cross or even by God himself. Mrs. Delacroix also chooses the largest stone to throw at her “friend” Tessie. The author could make fun of Christianity by calling it hypocritical. It could also be a pun on the biblical proverb or story that the worst people "cast the first stone." Summers is also a happy name, as summer usually refers to vacations and freedom. However, Mr. Summers is one of the people contributing to the..