Analysis Of Setting In “The Lottery” Essay

Analysis of Setting in The Lottery Setting, the clock time, location, and objects in which the events of a literary work occur. This important means is needed to help the commentator familiarize himself with what he is reading. Many writers rehearse orderting to establish a realistic background, transport us to queer and exotic places, or even to create a certain musical mode (Paschal 4). For example, place as described in The Lottery is a elfin present day town on a clear and delightful summer day. Shirley capital of Mississippi makes this know beca usage it sets the mood in the beginning for the juiceless turnaround at the end. With her intent to shock the reader she uses list rates the first-year of much(prenominal) is the time period that the bosh takes place.Jacksons narration takes place during the beginning of summer right around the time that educate is let out for summer recess. Second is the location of the lottery. She has the drawing held in the middle of town, the same place that they reach all of there family events. 3rd would be the actual black nook that they put the ballots in, she uses this as a symbolism of tradition. Jacksons brilliant use of setting ironically shows her intent to instill shock in the minds of her readers.As we study win into the setting of Jacksons The Lottery we come to the first separate saddle which is the time period that the story takes place. Jackson states that it is June 27th, which can be associated with the summer solstice, or the longest day of summer. This day has also been cognise to induce ritualistic overt hotshots. The year is left open to give the reader the sense that the story is current. The time is set at around 1000am and it submits that the flowers atomic number 18 blossoming and that the grass is richly green (Paschal 124).This is to give the reader a smellinging of serenity as Jackson wants the reader to feel as if this were an intellectionl town on an idol day. She sets a time frame for the actual lottery to occur. Since the lottery last approximately dickens hours it must start at 1000 so that they can be home in time for noon dinner (Paschal 124). This gives the reader the idea that this event is a common ritual and that they have a set schedule to go by. All of this sets the reader up for the ironic overrefinement at the end of the story. In a sense Jackson uses this ideal town as a camouflage to hide her true intent.The succeeding(prenominal) of Jacksons key points is the actual location of the lottery. Shesets the lottery in the middle of town between the bank and the post office (website 1). This element of town is know as the Town Square and is the place where they hold most of there family activities (Paschal 124). Since the story is set in wide-eyed mean solar day you can visualize all the families congregating like one would for a local community picnic. It says that the children are breaking in boisterous be given and the men are talking about planting and rain, tractors and taxes (website 1). The buildings that Jackson uses are symbolic and put across a strong message. The bank is a symbol of wealth or money, while on the other consecrate the post office is a symbol of government. One could say that the point being made here is that she uses these symbols in correlation with the lottery to say that whenever money and the government are involved there is corruption. At this point in the story Jackson would have the reader to believe that a town that appears to be so normal couldnt commit such an unthink fit action at the towns family meeting place in broad daylight.The third and final key point used is the black thump. Jackson uses this as a symbol of many things, one being tradition. The box is described as being shabby, splintered, faded and even stained (Paschal 125). This symbol of tradition clearly shows how this society or culture is afraid of change. not only does the black box symbolize tradit ion it symbolizes awe. As the box is introduced in the story it changes the mood of the deal. Jackson states that as the box is laid on the stool, the villagers kept there distance (Paschal 125). The box embodies all of the criminal acts executed in the past and the ones to come (website 2). One would think that if they were so afraid of this box why not make another one or even do away with the ritual completely. Perhaps their fear of change is stronger than their fear of fear itself. To these people the black box holds the key to life and death. Jacksons use of the black box as a symbol demonstrates shock in that the people of this society would kinda hold on to a greater evil rather than unstrain a lesser one.As noted above in the compendium of setting in Shirley Jacksons The Lottery we found that setting can be an important factor in any story because it sets an atmosphere that the reader can use to develop certain events at bottoma story. For example, in Steven Cranes The Bride comes to Yellow Sky the setting is in what is known as the Wild West. Without the reader knowing this they wouldnt be able to relate to Scratchy wearing cowboy clothes and shooting his guns in the bar. Another example would be in William Shakespeares Macbeth in which Shakespeare uses gothic Europe as the setting. Without knowledge of this you wouldnt be able to explain why people would kill there own relatives just to build power, or to even explain why it was common practice to chat a witch for advice. For some that was a common thing for people of Europe in that time period. In essence the appropriate use of setting to illustrate a writers intent in a story can be an effective way to have ones reader be able to relate to what he is reading.mWebsite 1- Various side Essays Irony of Setting in The Lottery www.cheathouse.com/restricted/essays/ess1/348.html Website 2- Chuck triplets College Resources Theses & Dissertations lottery www.chuckiii.com/reports/theses_&_ Diss ertations/lottery.shtml Paschal, Hugh H. A Formalistic Approach to Freshan Composition. Dubuque, IA Kendall/Hunt print Company, 2000