There are numerous instances of figurative language used in Shirley Jackson’s iconic short story “The Lottery. ” Jackson cleverly utilizes personification, imagery, similes, and metaphors to invoke deep emotions and suggest underlying themes of tradition and rebellion.
One of the most prominent examples of figurative language is personification. Jackson describes the setting using personification when she writes, “the villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the blacksnake woodpile, and when Mrs.
Hutchinson came shortly, panting, they succumbed to the prevailing fear and accompanied her back, not quite alongside her, a party of three. ” The use of personification helps to suggest the feelings the villagers have towards the lottery and the trepidation in approaching the ritual.
Jackson also employs imagery throughout The Lottery. She creates vivid pictures in the readers’ minds by writing, “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.
” Through her descriptions, Jackson creates a pleasant image that helps to contrast with the surreal, ominous turn of events that is to come.
Similes are also an effective device used by Jackson. When she writes, “The piles of stones the boys had made earlier that morning had been scattered, borne away past the line of trees,” Jackson uses an apt comparison of the stones as to suggest the fading tradition of the lottery.
Finally, Shirley Jackson uses various metaphors to deepen the meaning of The Lottery. For example, when Tessie draws the paper with the black spot, Jackson writes “it was like the first moments of a dreamed horror.
” Here, Jackson utilizes a metaphor to suggest the brutality of the lottery and the nightmarish reality of tradition.
Overall, the use of figurative language helps Shirley Jackson to create a powerful story that lingers in the reader’s mind long after reading.
What is an example of personification in The Lottery?
An example of personification in The Lottery is when the lottery is described as a “great black box. ” This personification of the lottery symbolizes how powerful and intimidating the village’s traditions are.
It also conveys how people in the village put so much faith in the lottery, despite it being a senseless and barbaric tradition. Additionally, the box brings to mind several connotations; the black box typically holds a variety of secrets, and with the lottery, it holds the results, which no one truly knows until all of the pieces of paper are drawn, creating an unpredictable outcome.
Therefore, the personification emphasizes the powerful, sinister, and secretive elements of the lottery.
What are 5 figurative examples?
Figurative language is a powerful tool used to evoke emotion, create imagery and help writers make their points more poetically. Here are five examples of figurative language:
1. Metaphor: A metaphor is an comparison between two things that are seemingly unrelated. For example, “Life is like a rollercoaster; sometimes it’s smooth sailing and other times it’s full of unexpected turns. “.
2. Simile: A simile is a type of figurative language that compares two dissimilar objects using ‘like’ or ‘as’, such as “She was as happy as a lark.”
3. Personification: Personification is when an inanimate object or animal is given human characteristics. For example, “The trees waved in the wind.”
4. Hyperbole: A hyperbole is a type of figurative language that is used to exaggerate. For example, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
5. Idiom: An idiom is an expression that has a figurative meaning that is different than its literal meaning. For example, “It’s raining cats and dogs.”
What literary devices were used in The Lottery?
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson employs a number of literary devices throughout the story. Foreshadowing is perhaps the most obvious: from the opening of the story, when the author writes of “a faint breeze that blew over the flat surface of the playing field,” the reader can almost imagine a dark presence coming over the small village.
The ritual of the lottery itself—the black box, Mrs. Delacroix drawing first, and then other villagers taking their turns—is symbolic of the dark fate that awaits the person chosen by the lottery. Irony is a key element of the story, as well: the villagers, who appear on the surface to be so happy and friendly, use such a barbaric and disrespectful ceremony to decide their fate.
By personifying the black box, the author conveys a certain eerie, ominous quality to the box, which represents both physical and moral death. The author’s use of symbolism is also important, as symbols are used to suggest a meaning behind the action.
For example, the “unsullied snow” in Mr. Summers’ hand points to the purity and innocence that is being taken away from the villagers. And finally, through her descriptions of the characters and the setting, Jackson is able to build a tense and uneasy atmosphere in the village, foretelling the gruesome events that eventually unfold.
What literary writing style is used in the story the lottery?
The literary writing style used in the story “The Lottery” is realism. The story is set in a small, rural village in the United States and uses realistic everyday details to create a believable setting for the dark event – the annual ritual of choosing a person to be stoned to death by the community – to take place.
There is a sense of routine and ritual as citizens of the village assemble for the lottery as if it were a mundane, everyday occurrence, a stark contrast to the violent and fatal result. The author, Shirley Jackson, also uses suspense and irony throughout the story, further enhancing the atmosphere of realism.
There is a relentless dread that builds throughout the story as the lottery’s true purpose is revealed, and the irony of the traditional ritual being used in such a horrific way further taps into the theme of the story.
Jackson’s use of realism, suspense, and irony all come together to create an unsettling and powerful atmosphere which is central to the story’s success.
How is allusion used in the lottery?
Allusion is commonly used in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” as a literary tool to suggest deeper implications and provide an underlying moral. Early in the story, the narrator alludes to ancient Eastern European ritualistic lottery sacrifices by saying that, “the ritual had been forgotten, even by the lottery makers.
” The allusions suggest that, in their greed and complacency, the villagers had forgotten why the ritual was started in the first place and the morality of the individual sacrifice. By contrasting the ignorance of the villagers with the knowledge of a forgotten history, Jackson implies that the deaths of innocent individuals do not benefit society and such rituals should not be forgotten.
The townspeople’s determination to complete the ritual also alludes to themes of conformity and tradition in the story. While everyone had grown distant and apathetic to the meaning behind the lottery, it is still an ingrained habit that everyone must keep.
Jackson suggests that these actions done simply out of tradition or habit can have profound negatives consequences.
Finally, Jackson alludes to the era of McCarthyism and paranoia that swept over America during her writing of the story. The small community in the story could represent all of society, and the villagers’ unquestioned decision to all find part in the lottery could allude to the fear that came with being different or speaking out against the crowd.
Overall, the allusions in Jackson’s “The Lottery” can allude to many different themes and concepts, and provide deeper meaning to the story.
What are 3 symbols in The Lottery?
The three symbols used in Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” are the villagers’ collective indifference to the annual lottery, the black box that contains the slips of paper, and the stones that the villagers use to participate in the lottery.
The villagers’ indifference to the lottery symbolizes their acceptance of a cruel and inhumane tradition as a necessary evil that must be perpetuated in order to maintain a sense of order within their community.
The black box has been used for generations and serves as a physical reminder of the tradition’s long-standing history. Lastly, the stones are a physical manifestation of each villager’s will to commit to the blind obedience and unquestioned acceptance of the lottery’s decision.
Does The Lottery have figurative language?
Yes, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson does contain figurative language. Jackson strategically employs figurative language to enhance the horrific mood of the story. For example, she uses several metaphors to represent the town’s stifling traditional values.
The most effective of these is when Jackson says: “…the original paraphernalia of the ritual had been lost long ago, the wearing of a black arm-band had replaced it. ” This metaphor implies that the town is relying on outdated customs and traditions to stay afloat.
It also suggests that the citizens are oblivious to the inhuman implications of their adherence to tradition. Jackson also uses personification to bring the stone to life. She writes; “The stones were all the same size, though they were of different shapes, and they were all squarish and flattish or oval”.
This personification gives readers a visual understanding of the stone, while also highlighting its significance within the story. Finally, Jackson uses similes to further enhance the horror in the story.
When describing Tessie Hutchinson’s face, she says: “Her face had a strained and stupid look, as though she were determined to keep what knowledge she had to herself. ” Comparing Tessie’s face to an expression of straining and stupidity is a powerful way of conveying the grim and oppressive atmosphere of the story.
What is the black box a metaphor for in the lottery?
The black box in the lottery is most often used as a metaphor for the random nature of chance and the unpredictability of fate. This is relevant to the story due to the lottery being held on this particular day in this small town.
The black box represents the fateful decision of the lottery winner, who will be chosen at random from the gathered crowd. It emphasizes that the winner was not chosen because of any special merit, but simply due to luck.
The concept of the black box is also symbolic of the consequences of this fateful decision; since the person chosen will be unknowingly sacrificing their life in order to give the town good luck, it is as if they are inside a metaphorical box of uncertainty, with no way of knowing what may happen to them.
The use of the black box allows the reader to understand the tension and suspense created by this ritual and how the people of the town are so willing to accept this ritual without understanding the tragedy of it all.
How is language used in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson?
Language plays a crucial role in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery. ” Jackson uses language to evoke a strong sense of foreboding, suspense, and irony throughout the short story. At the beginning, the ritualistic and unfamiliar language used to describe the drawing of the lottery and the surprisingly blasé attitude of the families creates a vivid and haunting atmosphere.
The dialogue of the characters also contributes to this atmosphere as they discuss what the lottery is, what their children are doing, and who has won the lottery. Jackson also uses figurative language such as similes and metaphors throughout the story to further emphasize the tension and the presence of an unknown, unseen threat.
For example, the villagers are described as “hemming antagonistically” and Mrs. Hutchinson is said to “drag her feet” as she approaches the lottery box. In this way, Jackson illustrates how everyday language can express a sinister undercurrent.
Finally, Jackson uses language to contrast the mundane with the strange and hint at the troubling implications of the lottery. The everyday words used to describe the lottery and the villagers’ participation take on a more sinister meaning when coupled with the fact that the lottery ends with a human sacrifice.
In this way, language serves as an important tool for Jackson to convey her message to the reader.
What kind of math does the lottery use?
The lottery uses a variety of mathematical models and algorithms to determine the outcome of each drawing. These mathematical models and algorithms are used to determine the number of possible winning combinations, the frequency of any particular number being drawn, and the probability of any particular combination being drawn.
In order for the lottery to operate in a fair and impartial manner, it must take into account the likelihood of any particular outcome and how likely it is that the same combination may be repeated. This means that the lottery must consider randomness, probability theory, and game theory when calculating the odds for each drawing.
Computer simulations and complex mathematical models are then used to determine the exact odds of any particular combination being drawn.
