Essay about Human Nature in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson The idea of winning a lottery is associated with luck, happiness and anticipation of good things. In Shirley Jacksons story, The Lottery, this is not the case. The irony of the story is that the winner of the lottery gets stoned to death by everyone else in the town. The story is very effective because it examines certain aspects of human nature. One aspect of human nature that is examined, and that adds to the effectiveness of the story, is mans tendency to resist change. This is shown in more than one way. The first way is the way some villagers tolerate the lottery even though they know it is wrong, and it serves no purpose. They talk about how other towns have already stopped having†¦show more content†¦Another aspect of human nature that we see in the story, and that adds to the effectiveness of the story, is the ability of man to hide his fear by joking about danger. When Mrs. Hutchinson arrives late, her husband jokes about getting along without her, and she jokes back about leaving dishes in the sink. The whole town laughs. They must joke because someone they know will die very soon, and they have to cover their fear. This adds to the effectiveness of the story because we have all seen people act this way. The next aspect of human nature that the author looks at, and that adds to the effectiveness of the story, is denial. As soon as her husband has drawn the black dot, Mrs. Hutchinson begins to complain that her husband wasnt given enough time to choose. She was content to allow someone else to die, but when it was going to be someone in her family she began to complain about procedure. This is something almost everyone would do. Denial is typical of humans, and the author uses it to make the story more effective. The crowd mentality is another facet of human nature that we see in the story, and that adds to the potency of the story. In a crowd the stoning can be justified by each person present because they can tell themselves that they didnt kill Mrs. Hutchinson. They only threw one or two rocks. Everyone else killed her. This kind of phenomenon accounts for deaths in BritishShow MoreRelatedThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson. 1. Focus/Thesis For Your885 Words   |  4 PagesTHE 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 MoreHuman Corruption Of Human Nature1140 Words   |  5 PagesHuman Corruption in â€Å"The Lottery† â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson is a classic short story in U.S literature. Written in 1948, the short story has been published in multiple languages around the world. It is still a required reading in U.S today. The story was later adapted into both a TV short and a play (â€Å"Shirley Jackson’s Bio†). Jackson uses irony and symbolism in â€Å"The Lottery† to show the corruption of human nature. The story opens up on a clear June day. It continues to describe an ominousRead MoreThe Lottery Literary Analysis1538 Words   |  7 Pageswarmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green† (Jackson). In this first sentence of the The Lottery Shirley Jackson establishes a pleasant illusion, creating a sense of serenity. Jackson proceeds to mention that children begin to gather in the village, frolicing and conversing about school. The initial scene and satirically labeled title, The Lottery, provide a somewhat satisfying first impression to the reader. The introductory scene is eminent toRead MoreThe Lottery Shirley Jackson Analysis1089 Words   |  5 Pages In Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery,† the story conducts a â€Å"lottery† that involves the families of the town to go into a drawing. Once the drawing is done, the winner of the lottery is used as a sacrifice in the town and is pelted by stones throw n from the community, including children. Furthermore, the basis of â€Å"The Lottery† has to do with psychological problems and influence. Psychoanalysis is built upon Sigmund Freud’s theories of psychology, which asserts that the human mind is affected by theirRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson1391 Words   |  6 Pages126 April 6, 2016 â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson â€Å"The Lottery† introduces the reader to a cruel ritual of the village where people gather together to participate in the annual elimination of a random villager. Superficially friendly mood in the town at the beginning of the story was replaced by hostile and violent human behavior at the end. Warm and sunny summer morning did not represent happiness; instead, it representedRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesWhen most people play the lottery today, they think about having wealth. Generally, people who win are happy about it whether they win one dollar or a million. The lottery in our society has grown to support education and it is often worth several million dollars. Usually, the winner of the lottery gains a lot of recognition for the money they win. But what would happen if there was a small town where people held a yearly lottery in which the â€Å"winner† was the member of the town who was not sacrific edRead More Essay on Shirley Jacksons The Lottery - Evils of Society Exposed858 Words   |  4 PagesThe Evils of Society Exposed in The Lottery  Ã‚   In Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, what appears to be an ordinary day in a small town takes an evil turn when a woman is stoned to death after winning the town lottery. The lottery in this story reflects an old tradition of sacrificing a scapegoat in order to encourage the growth of crops. But this story is not about the past, for through the actions of the town, Jackson shows us many of the social ills that exist in our own lives. In today’sRead MorePsychoanalytic Criticism Of The Lottery999 Words   |  4 PagesIn Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery,† the story begins on a sunny day that imposes gossip and frenzy around the town. In this location, they conduct a â€Å"lottery† that involves the families of the town to go into a drawing. Once the drawing is done, the family that is chosen is forced to commence into another lottery between themselves. The winner of the lottery is used as a sacrifice for the town and is pelted by stones thrown from the community, including children. Furthermore, the basis of â€Å"The Lottery†Read MoreThe Lottery Short Story Analysis1122 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery†, a short story by Shirley Jackson reflects humans deepest nature on tradition. Jackson uses routines as a way of illustrating the festival like qualities of the annual lottery. The setting of vibrant colors in the short story conveys a peaceful tone.The character s are portrayed as loving and caring. The ideas of a festival like a lottery, a homey setting and, the peoples actions all help develop the bigger idea. The people and tradition Shirley Jackson in her short story the â€Å"TheRead MoreAnalysis of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery Essay776 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† is a short story by Shirley Jackson, first published on June 26, 1948. The story was initially met with negative critical reception due to its violent nature and portrayal of the potentially dangerous nature of human society. It was even banned in some countries. However, â€Å"The Lottery† is now widely accepted as a classic American short story and is used in classrooms throughout the country. Jackson’s story takes a critical look at what can result when the customs and laws that govern

Hemingway s Writing A Philosophical Lens Essay

In Hemingway’s writing, he is always searching for truth, although, he often looks at the world in a nihilistic way. When reading through the authors’ short-stories or novels, he often refers to nothingness and the meaninglessness of existence. However, he also uses a practical application to repair his existential nihilistic viewpoints. Hemingway’s work is often seen as a representation of himself, and I believe that he used pragmatism as a distraction from the meaninglessness of the world. With suicide being prevalent in his family, I firmly believe that Hemingway himself strived for meaning in life, but eventually opted out because life is chaotic and there are too many unknown answers in the world. Hemingway tried to establish values and morals through pragmatism, but in reality, values are constantly changing and everything is temporary. By looking through a philosophical lens, I will demonstrate how Hemingway uses absurdism, nihilism, and pragmatism as a wa y to understand and interpret the world. In order to do so, I will look through Hemingway’s short-stories and novels and analyze passages critically to showcase the theories that are present in his work. In order to undertake this grand idea, I will also incorporate biographical elements to display Hemingway’s family history of suicide and to showcase his personal struggle to find meaning in the world. Nothing in life is simple or easy to understand. Life is a chaotic jumble of randomness that can change from one

Greek Crisis Free Essays

The Greek crisis: opportunity for Greek to rebirth The dubious distinction of history’s first recorded sovereign default belongs to Greece—the same nation at the forefront of the world’s second major financial crisis in five years. The crisis raised a question: Whether the crisis is a tragedy or opportunity for Greek? I believe even Greek have taken measures to reform, this crisis would continue until Greek government come up with solutions which are not created by other countries and international institutions to protect their benefits. Trouble in Public Finance Greece faced deep economic problems. We will write a custom essay sample on Greek Crisis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Most notorious was public-sector deficit. (See Exhibit 1) The debt-to-GDP ratio measures a country’s ability to pay off the entire debt with one year’s income, regardless of the nation’s wealth or total debt outstanding. Exhibit 4 shows the possibility that Greeck default is increasing. Two most outsized component of government expenditure were employee compensation and pensions. Greek government has taken austerity measures to reduce the deficit and meet the request of the international institutions who provide financial aid to Greece. The weaknesses of the economic model The global economic crisis of 2008 has found the Greek economy with several fundamental weaknesses: †¢ Reliance on ‘easy money’ (such as from the stock market or property), as well as on over-inflated private consumption, which has in turn relied on loans in recent years. †¢ The disproportionately central role of construction as the ‘driving force of the economy’ dating back to the 1960s. †¢ Particularly high public debt, which remains undiminished despite the widespread privatisations of the last 20 years. †¢ Over-reliance on sectors directly affected by the international crisis, such as tourism and shipping. Excessive dependence on oil consumption, an energy-wasting, pollution-generating energy model and the prospect of high-cost ‘emissions rights’ from 2012 onwards. †¢ Abandonment of mountainous and disadvantaged regions, which represent two thirds of the country, and overcrowding and overuse in the remaining third. à ¢â‚¬ ¢ An absence of genuine protection of natural resources in sectors such as water, forest land, fisheries resources and the countryside and biodiversity. proposals to exit the crisis A fundamental priority is TO SIMULTANEOUSLY INVEST IN THE EXIT FROM ALL THREE ASPECTS OF THE CRISIS: the economic, the social and the environmental. We focus on three basic priorities in parallel with the efforts for fiscal viability and the fight against corruption and tax evasion: †¢ Sustainable revitalisation of the countryside, with emphasis in the production of biological agricultural goods, and resurgence of the local and regional level economy, including the abandoned mountainous and disadvantaged areas. †¢ Promotion and upgrade of collective goods and services as compensation for the loss of purchasing power of people, in order for quality of life to become again a right for everyone as a kind of ‘parallel social wage’. Urgent turn in the energy sector to eliminate the dependence on oil and lignite, promotion of solutions alternative to car use, but also investments in energy saving and in renewable energy sources, drawn so that they offer additional incomes for the maximum possible number of households. Specific policies having these priorities need to be developed and applied in order to create fu nds and engage creative social forces: †¢ A just tax reform that will use the taxes as tools for encouragement or not of activities depending on their repercussions on the environment and the society. Measures for transparency and fight against corruption and tax evasion should aim at the re-establishment of a sense of social justice. †¢ Reduction of military spending and negotiations withTurkey for even larger mutual reductions. Given the Turkish candidacy for integration into the EU, it is logical to ssume that the EU should become more involved in the efforts to resolve Greek-Turkish differences. †¢ The promotion of a social and solidarity economy is of central importance to us. The reconnection with the tradition of the ‘ecology of the poor’ becomes again particularly relevant. Exhibit 1 How to cite Greek Crisis, Essay examples

Change of will Essay Example For Students

Change of will Essay She had planned to spend the early summer in Central Park rehearsing Henry VIII, a play about, among other things, the inheritance of a mans powerful position by a woman. But when the 26-member board of directors of the New York Shakespeare Festival summarily dismissed JoAnne Akalaitis from her job as the festivals artistic director on March 15, any number of plans changed. Over the next few days Akalaitis packed away 20 months worth of notabilia, issued a polite but unequivocal statement to the press, talked with characteristic frankness to friends and colleagues about how and why she was fired, then flew to Spain on April 5 for a visit with her daughter. Upon her return, she was scheduled to go into rehearsal for a play that might be viewed as the antithesis of a Shakespeare history: Jane Bowless poetic 1953 psychological study In the Summer House, which Andre Bishop has hired her to direct at Lincoln Center Theater Company. The gap in the Central Park season will be filled by Measure for Measure, a play about, among other things, the uses and abuses of power, and the gap at the Festivals helm was filled by director and playwright George C. Wolfe. Connected with the Festival since 1986 his Colored Museum and Spunk premiered there Wolfe has been curator of the theatres Festival of New Voices performances series for the past two seasons under Akalaitis. In accepting the appointment, Wolfe assumed the title by which the Festivals founder and driving force Joseph Papp had been known for some 37 years: producer. A secondary leadership role was taken on by another Festival regular, actor Kevin Kline, who will shoulder his title of artistic associate by playing the Duke in Measure for Measure. Akalaitiss ouster and Wolfes appointment stirred passions throughout the national theatre community and quarrelsome commentary in the press. Akalaitis, 55, had been hand-picked by Papp as his successor just three months before his death, and the boards decision to allow her barely a season-and-a-half in which to put her mark on the company was widely criticized. The board presented the change as a correction of bifurcated leadership (Akalaitiss coequal producing director Jason Steven Cohen will remain but will report to Wolfe in the new structure), but it is generally acknowledged that Akalaitiss taste for dark, audience-challenging work and her reported disinterest in courting funders and donors were looked upon with disfavor by board members. Demurrals by the board notwithstanding, the 38-year-old Wolfes in-demand status on Broadway as well as in the nonprofit theatrehe is the author and director of Jellys Last Jam and director of Angels in America was part of his appeal as her rep lacement. The New York Times, no fan of Akalaitiss work before or after her ascension to the Festival post, covered the transition in a series of articles almost celebratory in tone. In a March 21 piece, chief critic Frank Rich hailed the appointment of Wolfe as a close escape from calamity and went on to decry Akalaitiss narrow, academic vision and her virtually nonexistent producing record, referring to a dearth of new work originating at the Festival during her tenure. (An attachment to Akalaitiss press statement counters the criticism with a seven-page list of artistic activity.) In her own viewand that of several editorial commentators on the affair the Times reductive and unrelentingly assaultive coverage of Akalaitiss Festival leadership played a major role in her dismissal. The center of this story, Akalaitis believes, is an agenda on the part of the New York Times. Boards of directors have to have opinionsthey need to have their antennae out into the world, Akalaitis said in an interview the night before she boarded the plane for Spain. But if you have a board who doesnt know who the artistic director is, and that hasnt had the chance to use its muscle, it may be casting about for clues about how to think and behave and these come from the media. These signs from the media tell them something different from what may be actually happening at the theatre. In this case, its not that the board has a strong opinion it has no opinion. Its waiting to be told what to think by the newspapers. .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f , .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f .postImageUrl , .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f , .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f:hover , .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f:visited , .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f:active { border:0!important; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f:active , .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u113c889312a3b5f2ef19766b49df522f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A theatre Critic commented EssayShe has little patience for those who see her as a transition figure. There is no transition what happens in theatre is that artists just come in and do their work. Im not a transitional person Im the person Joe Papp picked as his successor.