The Lottery

How does Jackson use symbolism in this story?

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Jackson uses symbolism, a literary technique in which an object, person, or concept represents something else, throughout "The Lottery." For example, the story takes place on June 27, near the summer solstice, one of the two days in a year when the earth is farthest from the sun. Many prehistoric rituals took place on the summer solstice, so by setting the lottery at this time, Jackson draws similarities to such ancient rituals. Another symbol in the story is the black box. Although it is old and shabby, the villagers are unwilling or unable to replace it, just as they are unwilling to stop participating in the lottery. Many critics have also argued that Jackson uses name symbology extensively in the story. For example, Mr. Summers's name is said to represent joviality while Mr. Graves's name represents tragedy. Delacroix, which in French means "of the cross," suggests sacrifice because of its reference to Jesus Christ's death on the cross.

Source(s)

The Lottery, BookRags