In Shirley Jackson’S Short Story “The Lottery” It Seems

In Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery† it seems that Jackson is trying to portray how people do not question the rituals they partake in and continuously do them. There is no form of second thought on the rituals people perform but a sense of conformity. People go along with such rituals because it is accepted and only frowned upon when someone questions these rituals. People are so set in their ways sometimes that there is no way of showing them that they do not have to partake in these rituals. That life will go on without hesitation, the only impact rituals have are on the people who perform them. Jackson’s short story gives an insight on what rituals tend to be like, and how there is no hesitation in anyone’s mind on whether†¦show more content†¦There should not need to be something so horrific or life changing to happen, so that people realize they should but more thought into what happens around them. Rituals are always going to be around whether we agree with them or not, but it would not hurt to understand why people partake in these actions. The types of rituals that are set in society have nothing to do with the generations people come from, or their beliefs but whether or not they take the opportunity to modify and reason with them. People have to be open to change in order to make sure these rituals fit the upcoming generations and even society. People tend to not think about their actions until these actions are either affecting their daily lives or they have had a major effect to someone around them. In the beginning of the story, townswoman Tessie is ok with the idea of The lottery and is happy, joking with the other townspeople, and is not worried about the outcome. She sees nothing horrific about the idea of stoning a fellow townsperson to death, this is until she is the one that is dealt with the horrendous fate. At that point the entire idea is wrong and unfair, she believes that this was not meant to be and they should do it all over. This goes to show that people only accept someone’s idea until it no longer benefits them. In the story it also shows that throughout different generation ideas and values are changed, not everything works from oneShow MoreRelatedThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson1764 Words   |  7 Pagesfilled with excitement and eeriness, leaving the reader speechless. The Lottery , a short story written by famous writer Shirley Jackson, created an uproar on June 26, 1948, when it was published in the magazine The New Yorker (Ball). The gothic thriller, set in an unknown time and place, shares the tradition of a small town, a little larger than three hundred people, in which a drawing is held once a year. In this â€Å"Lottery,† each family’s husband draws a slip of paper from a black box. The husbandRead MoreThe Lottery Point of View Paper867 Words   |  4 PagesThe Lottery Point of View Shirley Jackson’s choice of point of view in â€Å"The Lottery† is that of being told in the third person. The story is told more by an observer’s point of view rather than that of a participant. In â€Å"The Lottery† she illustrates how what is being done to the family members, of people in the village, is an act of pointless bloodshed. It isn’t clear as to why they carry on with the ancient rite but what is clear is that the people in the village are obedient to the past law andRead More Irony in the Story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay644 Words   |  3 PagesIrony in the Story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† irony is an underlying theme used throughout the story. The setting is introduced as a â€Å"clear and sunny† day, but ends with the brutal death of a housewife (715). The two people who essentially run the town, Mr. Graves and Mr. Summers, also have ironic names. In addition, the characters and the narrator make ironic statements throughout the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The plot as a whole in â€Å"The Lottery† is filled withRead MoreCatholicism Exposed in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay1303 Words   |  6 Pagesgeneration to generation. Tradition becomes a part of who we are as a scociety. Shirley Jackson mocks society’s way of blindly following certain traditions. Characteristics of Jackson’s story create a parallel with Catholicism, by harping on our fear of change but our ability to manipulate what we want from our traditions and the basis of Catholicism’s belief of the innocence in children. Shirley Jacksons short story The Lottery has created a clear link to Catholicism encouraging us to open our eyesRead MoreSummary On The Allegory Of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery871 Words   |  4 Pages Shirley Jackson’s story â€Å"The Lottery† serves as an allegory regarding humankinds inherent to be cruel and society’s ability to inure to violence. The author’s use o f 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. JacksonRead MoreEssay on Shirley Jackson and Her Short Stories631 Words   |  3 PagesShirley Jackson’s stories often had a woman as the central character who was in search of a more important life other than the conventional wife and mother. These characters however were often chastised for their refusal to conform to a woman’s traditional way of life. Much like her characters, throughout Shirley Jackson’s life, she also rejected the idea of fitting into societys perception of a womans role. Shirley Jackson was married to writer and literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman. HymanRead MoreAn Unkindness of Tradition: Shirley Jackson ´s Biography1624 Words   |  7 Pagesexplore a morbid and daunting way of writing. A common form is that of suspense and mystery. Shirley Jackson takes mystery to a distinctive level. She depicts an era that has not yet been revealed. By looking at the background of this author, analyzing her writing and responding personally you will better enhance your learning experience and connection with this type of dark literature. Author Biography Shirley Jackson was an extremely well liked American author during the 1900s. However, in recentRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson. 1. Focus/Thesis For Your885 Words   |  4 Pages THE LOTTERY by Shirley Jackson 1. Focus/thesis for your essay on the story you are researching The traditions and the rituals of the lottery authored by Shirley Jackson seems to be just as old as the town itself, more so since most residents don’t actually recall any of the old rituals, ven the Old Man Warner, who celebrates his 77th lottery. This implies that they are archaic in some ways and they are rooted in the traditions and superstitions that seem to include the crops and the human sacrificeRead MoreThe Lottery Symbolism649 Words   |  3 PagesIn Shirley Jacksons short story The Lottery, one of the main characters is Mr. Summers. The lottery was conducted--as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program--by Mr. Summers. Summers might be the busy body of the village, but he is not the protagonist of the story. Because he represents the status quo situation in the village, his presence in the story is one of the most significant symbols of The Lottery. Summers represents blind adherence to ritual, as he is in chargeRead MoreThe Lottery, by Shirley Jackson and A Good Man Is Hard To Find, by Flannery OConnors1074 Words   |  5 PagesIn Shirley Jackson’s short story the Lottery and Flannery O’Conner’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†, there are a few aspects of a similar nature that attempt to tackle the nature essence of the human condition. Both short stories respectively portray two similar types of foreshadowing where one is random the other is premeditated, which leads these stories to their very surprising dramatic climax that is held until the end of each story. I believe that these important variables of both stories have

The Continuum Of Perception, I Tend Toward Intuition

On the continuum of perception, I tend toward Intuition. There are both positives and negatives to this preference. On the positive side, my intuition can go a long way toward perceiving the needs of others and helping to create a positive working environment for my employees. On the negative side, however, my preference for intuition rather than sensing the world around me plays into one of my perceived weaknesses, which is that, since I am a fairly mild-mannered and non-aggressive person, people could perceive me, in turn, as weak or someone who can be walked over. The reality is that I have a strong personality and I work to be diplomatic in the face of adversity, which my supervisors continually note is an area of strength. This lends itself well to my current leadership style, which is a blend of democratic, synergistic, and servant leader. I like to put the onus of responsibility on my employees such that they can buy into the work that they are doing. A part of this is creatin g a team atmosphere, even against my own personal preferences, to make sure there is a diverse talent pool addressing each constituency and issue. Finally, as a servant leader, it is my duty to create an environment for my employees’ success that fosters their growth. As a thinking person, I have already shared how I am data-driven and strong in my analytical abilities. A threat in my field is the oftentimes lack of data to support a project or a decision. I have taken the time to get comfortableShow MoreRelated Immanuel Kant’s Metaphysics Essay3676 Words   |  15 PagesImmanuel Kant’s Metaphysics THEME In regard to Metaphysics, Kant’s results were seemingly the opposite to what he strove to achieve, cf. the claim, in his Introduction, that â€Å"In this enquiry . . . 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Southern’s Middle Ages Free Essays

Southern’s Middle Ages In the novel, â€Å"The Making of the Middle Ages,† author, R. W. Southern, calls attention to the events during the years of 972 and 1204, and how they  influenced the intellectual, religious and cultural traditions of our modern era. We will write a custom essay sample on Southern’s Middle Ages or any similar topic only for you Order Now This period, lasting well over 200 years, is usually associated with waring knights and starving peasants rather than highly developed intellect and great innovation. However, Southern explains that there were considerable academic and sociological advancements made during this period, that go relatively unnoticed. He refers to these events as a â€Å"secret revolution† and explains that, â€Å"The significant events are often the obscure ones, and the significant utterances are often those of men withdrawn from the world and speaking to a very few. † (Pg. 13)   He reiterates this theme throughout the book, focusing primarily on Christianity, society, and thought. There can be no dispute that the prominence of Christianity, during the Middle Ages, has done more to shape the world, as it is today, than possibly any other religion. This is primarily because Christianity offered a unifying, stabilizing force throughout Europe, where a majority of areas had an â€Å"incoherent jumble of laws and customs, difficult to adjust to each other and hard even to understand. The survivals of barbaric codes of law jostled with varying mixtures of Roman law, local custom, and violence†. pg 15) Christendom provided Europe with a unified identity in language, government, and education. It is no great mystery that language plays an important role in the creation of personal relationships between individuals. So when applied on an international stage, language can mean the difference between war and peace. The church’s use of Latin acted as a merging factor in areas where people spoke in diverse and various dialects. As stated by Southern â€Å"Th is broad similarity of language from the lowlands of Scotland to Sicily was a real bond between men. (pg 17) The unifying quality of Latin not only bound men together linguistically, but also allowed those from different countries to move about freely with little or no language barrier. â€Å"The likenesses of language over this broad area were sufficiently pronounced to facilitate ease of movement both of men and of ideas: it took relatively few alterations to make a Provencal song intelligible in England, and a member of the English baronage could, without uch difficulty, make himself at home in Italy† (pg 20). As a side effect of the church being the one constant variable of the European continent, individual governments became subjugated to the power of the church. Christendom had developed such a loyal following that the peoples of the European nations, including those in power, were dependent on the church for moral and political authority. In this way, Christianity hel ped to unify countries that would otherwise be at odds with each other. Through the unification of these nations, the church grew to be the most commanding institution of Europe, enforcing that â€Å"all paid a form of tribute known as Peter’s Pence, which was the foundation of more or less determined claims to Papal overlordship; and when Bohemia finally became a kingdom, its new status was guaranteed by a Papal confirmation† (pg 27) The influence of the church was so great that all countries were reliant upon it, and were only recognized as sovereign nations, when determined as so, with the expressed confirmation of the Pope. Above all though, the most distinguishing impact that Christianity had, was a result of the crusades. Southern states that, â€Å"Even the Crusades only touched the fringe of this hostile world. But they had one great effect: they opened men’s minds to the size of the uncovered world. † (70) These wars brought people to the edges of their culture and introduced to them to thier neighbors of the Muslim world where there was a literal collide and infusion of new thought, which Southern calls â€Å"The great period of acquisition†. pg 68) At this time, the advancement in the Muslim’s refined scientific knowledge and mathematic skills, which â€Å"had been intensively cultivated by Moslem Scholars† (65) were transferring and even being sought after by those in academia. The Jewish culture was instrumental as well in that they were effective in the translation of the two different languages. Maribel Dietz, author of â€Å"Wandering Monks,Virgins and Pil grims† writes on the effects the journeys of the pilgrims had on not only the institutional church, but on society and thought. As stated in her novel â€Å"In an environment of religious, political, and social change, movement itself was now open to a multiplicity of meanings, interpretations, and purposes. †(pg 42) The crusades resulted in a surge of material and intellectual wealth coming back to Europe from the front lines. Southern discusses the transfer of Muslim knowledge during these wars, Throughout his novel Southern looks at society and the individual. He writes about the importance certain groups and individuals within a particular community as well as the growth of society global scale. One particular group he writes about is women. Women, during this time period, were often given very little recognition. However, the power they wielded during the middle ages was far greater than many have been led to believe. Henry Chaucer often wrote on the subject of women. In his famous poem â€Å"The Canterbury Tales† he gives an in depth look at the power that women held. In one particular section of the poem the wife of bath describes a great deal of her life, omitting very little detail. She describes herself as being a strong woman who makes a habit of manipulating her husbands. â€Å"I will have a husband who will be both my debtor and servant, and have his tribulation upon his flesh, while I am his wife. As long as I live I, and not he, have the power over his body. † Regardless of the fact that history shows men as having all the power, in reality women held a great deal of power often through the manipulation of men. While Southern does not address the manipulation of men by women as Chaucer does, he does address the binding nature of marriage. He states in one passage â€Å"the way for this diffusion of rules of conduct and guides to statesmanship was prepared by something less tangible than ideals – it was prepared by the bond of marriage. † During the time in which Southern is writing about, marriage was more that just an expression of love by two individuals. It was an event that could mean the literal difference between life and death. The marriage of a couple was a binding of two families and often two nations if the individuals being married were nobles. In particular he focuses on the influence women have in marriage. Women during this time were married to men for many reasons, each having some sociopolitical ramification. Often times they would leave their home country as a result of a marriage which meant that they were immersed in a new culture, absorbing new ideas as well as spreading ideas from their own homeland. Southern makes a point of this by stating â€Å"Women were less rooted in the soil than men; they brought new influences from distant parts and established bonds between men of little or no identity of purpose or of interest. † This bonding of men from different cultures through women could and did have vast ramifications on society as a whole. One such example is that of Agnes of Aquitaine who was married the King of Germany, and the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry the 3rd. 13 years after their marriage in 1056 Agnes was left widowed and became regent for her infant son. Her reign lasted for 6 years at the end of which she was run out by an uprising. After her reign ended she became well known for her religious devotion and was the chief ambassador between the Papal court and her son, Holy Roman Emperor, Henry the 4th. She was well known and had considerable influence in the political world. The case Agnes is just one of many that show the power women held during the this time period. Southern moves from the world of women and marriage into the world of men and the nuances of class that men could hold. A common term used when talking about class in the middle ages is the term serf. A serf was a person who was essentially a volintary slave who worked for a lord or religious institution, often working the land and paying a portion of their harvest to their master. It was also possible to be born into serfdom if one was born to parents who were serfs or were promised by their parents to a lord or institution. Education during the middle ages is often seen as something that was essentially non-existant. While it is true that it was more difficult to learn, as a result of geographic restrictions, the enthusiatic pursuit of knowledge never ceased or deminished during this time period. St. Augustine wrote the De Doctrina Christiana, which Southern refers to as â€Å"the most comprehensive syllabus of Christian Studies. †(pg 170) Augustine’s book outlines the way that science is too be used to better understand the bible. It is at this time during the middle ages when science and religion not only go hand in hand, but are practically indistinguishable from each other. And it is not until Boethius attempts to revive the ideas and philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome that this system began to change. Boethius’s dream to translate Greek science and philosophy into Latin, was the precurser to the renaissance and inspired others such as Gerbert, who revived the art of rhetoric. It is at this point that one can begin to see the shift from Augustine’s combination of science and religion into a new era when the two begin to split. Southern calls itâ€Å"the divorce between Divine and Secular learning† (pg 173) . What started out as a way of understanding religion was becoming a secular endevoure. Southern, R. W. The Making of The Middle Ages. Fredericksburg, Virgina: BookCrafters, Inc. , 1953. (accessed November 4, 2012). toatinthe Ancien Early in the period covered by this novel scientific knowledge was something that went hand in hand with the search for biblical truth. St. Augustine was wrote on this subject stating that clergy should use science to better interpret the meaning of the bible, and theological studies where indistinguishable with scientific. This changed later on when (insert name here) began to draw a p The majority of the european continent consisted of a rural and uneducated society, with diverse political and religious practices, besieged by violent invaders. Conclusion â€Å"Countries which , in 972, appeared so menacing had become by the end of our period an integral part, and to all appearances a permanent part, of Western Christendom† (pg 27) education the popes kings and emperors united in defensive of the perceived threat of islam and roaming tribes How to cite Southern’s Middle Ages, Essay examples

The Last Leaf False Perception free essay sample

In the story â€Å"The Last Leaf† the false perception of this story has a powerful outcome. Sue led Johnsy to believe that the last leaf had not fell off from the vine. As Johnsy looked out of the window she could see the little leaf hanging on for dear life. Even through the snow, and the pouring down rain it stayed firmly attached to its vine. Johnsy counted as all the other leaves fell from its vine. But for some reason this little leaf held on strong. She began to wonder if this leaf was sending her a message to stay strong just like it did through the roughest times of the year. The leaf held on and endured the worst weather conditions of the year. That encouraged Johnsy to hang on to her life and possibly get through this sickness from a â€Å"chivalric old gentleman named Mr. Pneumonia. † Sue knew the whole time that the last leaf had fell off its vine one tempestuous night. But enable to keep Johnsy some what alive, she made a false perception by going along with what Mr. Behrman thought was best. Which was painting an identical leaf on the brick wall to make it look like the real leaf was still holding on to its life. The false perception worked and made Johnsy realize how naughty she was being by only thinking about her self. In the outcome Johnsy survived her fatal sickness and held on strong just like she thought the last leaf had done all along. Mr. Behrman not only took his own life to save the life of Johnsy but also created and finished a masterpiece he had always spoke of doing.