Sample Literature Review On The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

A short story ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson has raised controversial feelings in me. It tells about a special annual occasion taken in a small village by its dwellers. Every year the whole community participates in a so-called lottery when a person is chosen at random by means of drawing and is stoned nearly to death by the villagers. The participation is obligatory for everyone. The town lives according to a deeply-rooted tradition which has existed for already seventy-seven years.
The story strikes with its cruelty skillfully masked with friendliness. The lottery implies something to be won, it symbolizes hopes and dreams. In a word, it is associated with something light. However, the lottery described in the story possesses a perverted meaning. The winner is bound to die by the hands of his family and friends. The most horrible thing is that these ‘entertainment’ is not viewed as something out-of-the-ordinary. On the contrary, people ‘greet one another and exchange bits of gossips’, being completely aware that in the next few hours one of them will be killed.
A parallel can be drawn with a present-day situation. The modern society is surrounded by misleading atmosphere of cheerfulness, friendliness, understanding and helpfulness. However, if to look under the surface, it is soaked with evil, betrayal and disillusionment. Those who are considered as friends can easily thrust a knife in the back, following some beliefs and prejudices.
The story, to my mind, reveals hypocrisy and weakness of the society. It brings out all the vices that people judge in others but do not want to admit in themselves. With the help of irony the author shows the true nature of people.