The Lottery Sparknotes Essay Sample

The Lottery Sparknotes Essay Sample The Lottery Sparknotes: Ritual Murder on a Sunny Day The most widely known story ever published in American press which caused a social explosion takes only several pages and fifteen minutes to read. The The Lottery SparkNotes is a short summary of the shocking narration. Weird Box It is one of those warm June days when not a single cloud obscured the deep serene. The citizens of a tiny New England’ village come together to take part in a traditional lottery. There are not more than 300 people assembling in the square. Therefore, it will not take a long to name the winner, approximately, two hours. The village boys stuff their pockets with roundest and smoothest stones. Folks do talking about taxes, tractors, planting, and rain. Young girls gossips in the corner of the square, observing the boys who make a huge pile of stone. At last, a man with shabby black box steps in the middle of the town crowd and puts it on the stool. It is weird that in spite of keen public interest, no one seems eager to win the annual lottery. On the contrary, everyone keeps his distance from the box placed on the stool. The mystery box contains the little slips of paper. Mister Summers who conducts the lottery stirring them thoroughly; then he declares that the lottery is open. The roll call has begun. It seems that everyone is getting nervous; quiet mouth, grim countenance and wetting lips contrasts wildly with a picturesque sunny day. Win the Death Mr. Summers utters the names of the familys heads that must come forward to pick a piece of folded paper from the box. They are supposed to open the pieces of paper simultaneously on command. Meanwhile, the oldest citizen proudly says that he has been lucky to survive in the lottery seventy-seven times. When everyone makes his choice, the pieces of paper are opened. Now, the assemblage knows the name of the winner. Suddenly, one woman, the winners wife, Tessie, accuse Mr. Summers of cheating as he didnt give enough time her spout for choosing a piece of paper. The winner tries to calm Tessie dawn. The strange ritual is continuing. All members of her family pull one of the five slips out of the box. Tessie has picked a paper with a black spot. Each villager except the poor girl had rushed to the piles of the stones. Tessie is standing in the circle, surrounded by the threatening crowd. It is not fair, she repeatedly says. The first pebble is flying. It hit the girl on the side of her head. Was Tessie stoned to death? There is no answer, the reader must guess. The violence is over now. The villagers with the expression of new-born lamb hurry back to their day-to-day labor, growing crops, and paying taxes. Historical Facts Being published in the late 1940s, this short narration caused more letters than any fiction story ever printed in The New Yorker. Probably, the audience reaction was the result of publishing the shocking story without identifying it as a fact of fiction. As for the village, it was modeled after the Vermont community where the author of the narration, Jackson, spent a long period of her life. Sparknotes the Lottery: Barbaric Tradition Contrast. The description established the peaceful picture with lush grass and flourishing blossom that contrasts sharply with the strange mood of the frowned crowd. At first, the reader expects something positive as the lottery implies entertainments and a present for a winner. However, the author gives a clue regularly so that the air seems full of unconscious fear. The core of the narration is the story about the human tendency towards violence and adherence to the outdated traditions. Tradition. Many details of the horrible ritual have been lost. Actually, the townspeople remember only certain aspects of the ceremony, the most violent and barbaric. The adults have already forgotten the history of this tradition. Children don’t know any details about it at all. Although, all generations pick pebbles to hit a victim. For example, original box disappeared a long time ago. No one seems to remember where it is. But townspeople still memorize how to use stones. People choose what rituals they really want to keep. Ritual murder. Villagers believe that they must to sacrifice a few in exchange for the abundant crop. Surprisingly, but the townspeople threw rocks at the girls head without a sign of remorse. Tessies character. In the beginning, the girl seems to show her rebellious attitude as she is the one who doesnt take the brutal ritual seriously. Although, as anyone in the crowd, she makes no sign of protests against inhuman, injustice tradition before her husband selects a piece of paper with the black mark. Only being put in danger, she objects to the lottery. However, her speech about fairness sounds quite ironically. Style. The narration combines elements of irony and horror. The deeply idyllic scene of the village with green grass highlights the inherent evil of human nature. Conclusion In this short narration, the villagers adherence to the unthinkable bloody ritual reminds us of the times of pagan gods. For a favorable harvest, ruthless folk is ready to murder the member of the community in a wild way by stoning to death. The short story highlights the inability of society to reject the concept of senseless ritual grounded in the longtime outdated tradition.