Summary:
Points out the significance of the characters' names in the short story "The Lottery", by Shirley Jackson. Discusses foreshadowing and symbolism.
Graves, Summers, Delacroix - do you suspect anything when you hear these names? This essay will analyze the characters and their names in the story "The Lottery." The names Mr. Graves, Mr. Summers, and Mrs. Delacroix and other names have interesting meanings and the author, Shirley Jackson, uses them to foreshadow the story and what "The Lottery" really is.
This section will show some ideas that foreshadow the end of the story. Mr. Graves is the one who carries the three-legged stool, which can mean two things: either the Blessed Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, or it could also mean the past, the present and the future, saying that "the Lottery" will always be among us. When Mr. Graves ask for some help, and there's a big hesitation before Mr. Martin and his son Baxter agree ("there was a hesitation before two men, Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, came forward to hold the box steady on the stool") Of course, there's his name, Mr. Graves, which is signalling tombstones, death and a cemetery. He is also the owner of the post office. As the Postmaster, he delivers the news, as well as with the lottery, he delivers the news of who will get stoned to death.
When you read the story, you don't suspect anything about the name Mr. Summers. It almost foreshadows something good; in other words, it deceives you. Summers symbolizes life, changing of seasons, fertility, a new life, but Mr. Summers is exactly the opposite; instead of a new life, he takes one away. He also runs the other clubs and activities that are normally fun such as the square dancing, the teen club and the Halloween program, which leads you to think he's a good person, but yet, he still continues the horrid tradition. Mr Summers also runs the coal mine, and coincidentally coal is black and black denotes death.
Mrs. Delacroix is suppose to be friends with Tessie Hutchinson but when the stoning part comes along, there seems to be another story. Mrs. Delacroix in Latin and French and various other languages means "of the cross". Christians believe in the cross, but although she shows to be Christian, when the stoning comes along she picks up the biggest stone to throw at Tessie: "Mrs. Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands." Old Man Warner is also suspicious, he doesn't think that they should quit "the Lottery", he thinks that the person that deserves the stoning will receive it, and he says that he has lasted more than 70 years and still has not won, showing that he will never win so he isn't scared every year they do "The Lottery." He also "warns" the town not to quit "The Lottery" and explains how other towns are thinking of giving "The Lottery" up; Old Man Warner snorts "Pack of crazy fools."
In this story, there is so much foreshadowing but it is very well disguised and very few readers pick up on the meaning of "The Lottery." Such as the children picking up stones, the hesitation before someone helps Mr. Graves with the stool, and people being late for the lottery, when normally people would rush to want to see if they won, and not one person did. Neither Mr. Graves nor Mr. Summers have to quiet the crowd of over excitement; everyone is silently waiting to see if they had "won." There is a lot more foreshadowing towards "The Lottery" being good, so most readers don't take in the bad things that the author tells you. In this book, there is a lot of foreshadowing, towards a good lottery and also towards a bad lottery. The names do the same thing, make it sound good and also make it sound bad.
This is the complete article, containing 637 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
