Essay on The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

Have you ever wondered how traditions can sometimes turn into brutal bloody rituals, in which some individuals participates without wondering if it's right or not? The short-story The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, is a great work of fiction that shows us how a socially divided society can get into pointless violence and harm one of their own member. The story takes place on a warm morning of June in the town square of a small …

…In conclusion, the social class division and the oppression of women combined with the unconditional respect of traditions undoubtedly leads to unjustified acts of violence and, ultimately, to society break up. This is very well shown in the story by the use of foreshadowing, irony and symbols throughout the text. Shirley Jackson wanted her readers to realise that we have to be careful with traditions because they can remain a long time in the society.