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“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson Analysis: A Normalcy of Violence

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Subtle contrast or irony in fiction is creative writing at its peak. For example, the values of the grandmother in Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” or the wallpaper in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Often, these ironic contrasts cause the reader to reflect on the wider world around them. These are the things that make horror in literature palpable. Accordingly, I thought it appropriate to provide an analysis of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. It is a uniquely horrific tale by the author of The Haunting of Hill House.

Overview

Jackson’s “The Lottery” tells the tale of a village that is preparing for its annual lottery. Readers get a close view of the town’s inhabitants, and their rituals. It is a close inspection as they prepare for the important day of selection. A day, remarkably, that seems to be like any other.

“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,” Jackson writes.

The author describes the happenings of the town and the routine activities that are taking place. The townsfolk have gathered together in the square. And, at one point there s a kerfuffle over losing the black lockbox that is pivotal to the occasion. The men of the village gather and discuss the weather and the crops. Meanwhile, the women join them, and all of them wait for the event to begin.

Here, we learn more about the Lottery and the individual who manages it:

“The lottery was conducted–as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program–by Mr. Summers. who had time and energy to devote to civic activities. He was a round-faced, jovial man and he ran the coal business, and people were sorry for him. because he had no children and his wife was a scold.”

Soon enough, the prolonged wait is over for the village (the families want to get home before the noon dinner, of course) and the lists for the lottery are drawn. Of course, this was not unusual for those in attendance as the “people had done it so many times that they only half-listened to the directions…”

We soon find out that the unlucky winner is Tessie Hutchinson, after she arrives late to the party, who is married to the (unsavory?) Bill Hutchninson. After calling out the lottery as “unfair,” she is told the arbitrary rules a few more times before the first stones begin to fly—one striking her directly in the head.

“It isn’t fair, it isn’t right,’ Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they (the villagers) were upon her.”

An Analysis of “They Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Often referred to as a shocking story (which it probably was in 1948), “The Lottery” now stands as a totem to the normalcy of violence in communities. Consider the opening line: “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny.” It is an important and tactful intro to a story that reveals hard truths about human nature through its exploration of sober malice. For example, the men gather and talk about “planting and rain, tractors and taxes,” and the women “greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands” (Jackson). It is all too normal, and I think that is exactly the point.

For me, Shirley Jackson is remarking on the commonality of brutal, barbaric violence that had found its way into America in 1948. Although, that violence certainly stretches to our time as well. The seemingly random accusations of communism and community ostracism that plagued America arrived shortly in the 50s. With it came the violence of oppression from a random lottery of ignorance and hate.

As Jackson stated in the San Francisco Chronicle in 1948:

“Explaining just what I had hoped the story to say is very difficult. I suppose, I hoped, by setting a particularly brutal ancient rite in the present and in my own village to shock the story’s readers with a graphic dramatization of the pointless violence and general inhumanity in their own lives” (Haven).

Jackson took that pervasive violence and made it tangible for the reader. It is alarming because we sometimes forget that crowds of people throw stones literally and metaphorically. As such, community has the power to come together, and it has the power to kill.

What do you think of this popular short horror story? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!



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The Story Behind The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

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I remember sitting in grade school and listening to my teacher read “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving to the class. It was autumn, and the dark sky, rain, and autumn leaves blowing outside the classroom impressed on my brain forever. It was a chilling ghost story. Sometime toward the end of her reading, I thought to myself: “I am going to teach one day because I want this experience to exist for others.” In this post, we will dig into the life of Washington Irving, his accomplishments, and his impact.

Biography

Irving’s Early Years

Irving was born in New York City in 1783. He was named after General George Washington. He was the 11th child in his family, and some sources described him as having a frailty as a young child. Nevertheless, he spent much of his early days wandering the city and the countryside. He explored, learning from the histories and stories that were pervasive in the Hudson Valley. In this area, folklore and legends were rife in the rural communities.

Irving’s College Years and First Writings

Rather than attend college, Irving studied law in his early days and “wrote a series of whimsically satirical essays.” This satirical style would define his later work. As a lawyer, Irving worked diligently but spent much time devoted to his craft and published a series of letters in 1802 under the pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon. He also collaborated with his brother William and James K. Paulding in 1807 and 1808 to craft a series of essays. These essays, entitled Salmagundi, were centered on trends in society.

England and Fame

Irving moved to England in 1815. After the family “import-export” business failed, he busied himself with writing and produced The Sketch Book under the pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon. This book contained both “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” It was also extremely popular with audiences and made Irving a star in the literary world.

To give some context to his style, here is an excerpt from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” In this passage, the protagonist Ichabod Crain comes face-to-face with the Headless Horseman:

“He appeared to be a horseman of large dimensions, and mounted on a black horse of powerful frame. He made no offer of molestation or sociability, but kept aloof on one side of the road, jogging along on the blind side of old Gunpowder (Ichabod’s horse), who had now got over his fright and waywardness. Ichabod, who had no relish for this strange midnight companion, and bethought himself of the adventure of Brom Bones with the Galloping Hessian, now quickened his steed, in hopes of leaving him behind. The stranger, however, quickened his horse to an equal pace. Ichabod pulled up, and fell into a walk, thinking to lag behind—the other did the same. His heart began to sink within him; he endeavored to resume his psalm-tune, but his parched tongue clove to the roof of his mouth, and he could not utter a stave.”

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving

“Ichabod Crane imagining a phantom at his shoulder. American ghost story and folk tale.” — by Frederick Simpson Coburn

Irving would later return to America in 1832. He ventured out west where he wrote A Tour of Prairies (1835), The Adventures of Captain Bonneville (1837), and a few other works. He spent his final days near the Hudson River and died of a heart attack in Tarrytown, New York on Nov. 28, 1859.

Conclusion

In his lifetime, Irving gained international fame as an author, which was uncommon in his age. In this way, American literature, akin to Daniel Dafoe, became as important as European literature and cemented American mythos and folklore as viable tradition. Similarly, his works inspired the short story genre and created a conversational style that was approachable for contemporary readers. With that said, Irving made a lasting impact on the literary world.

Literary Bios

The Life of Ernest Hemingway: Modernist, Realist, Storyteller

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It should go without saying that Ernest Hemingway is an extremely important writer to literary history. For example, his novel The Old Man and the Sea is an important book for a few reasons. First, it shows a modernist at the top of his game with robust prose and a deeply thematic story. It is also just as fine an example of modernist literature as one can find. In this way, Hemingway is a fixture in literary discussion. Not only is he one of the most important writers to come out of the early 1900s, but perhaps he’s one of the most influential and important writers in American history. Yet, the life of Ernest Hemingway was a difficult one, rife in ware, trauma, and death.

Hemingway: A Biography of a Modernist

Early Life, Journalism, and World War I

Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. In his early life, Hemingway would learn to fish and hunt in Northern Michigan, which would inform his storytelling interests later in life. He was a sportswriter in High School, writing for the school newspaper Trapeze and Tabula, and later worked for The Kansas City Star. One could certainly argue that journalism contributed to his realistic approach to writing. He enlisted in the army in 1918 to fight in World War I. There, he served as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army. Through the course of duty, he earned the Italian Silver Medal of Bravery and a few battle wounds.

Hemingway and The Lost Generation

After the war, he worked at the Toronto Star and eventually moved to Paris with his first wife and worked as a foreign correspondent. In Europe, he met Gertrude Stein and became to frequent her artists boutique. As such, he became a member of “The Lost Generation,” which was a group of disenfranchised artists impacted by the Great War. It was there with Gertrude Stein that Hemingway met a plethora of famous artists, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, Pablo Picasso, and James Joyce.

Hemingway’s Publishing Career

While in the throes of modernist debate, Hemingway published The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms, which more or less cemented him as an important writer in literature history. Inspiration for these great works were his adventurous spirit and real-life experiences. He also wrote realistic, albeit dramatic, short stories, such as Hills Like White Elephants and The Three Day Blow.

In Farewell to Arms, Hemingway showcases his style, which is often referred to as muscular or robust prose.

In the jolt of my head I heard somebody crying. I thought somebody was screaming. I tried to move but I could not move … I pulled and twisted and got my legs loose finally and turned around and touched him. It was Passini and when I touched him he screamed. His legs were toward me and I saw in the dark and the light that they were both smashed above the knee. One leg was gone and the other was held by tendons and part of the trouser and the stump twitched and jerked as though it were not connected.

Ernest Hemingway
A Farewell to Arms

Hemingway’s Later Life and Death

Toward the end of his career, Hemingway won the Pulitzer with the publication of The Old Man and the Sea. He also won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his literary contributions. On July 2, 1961, after a battle with mental health issues that included paranoia and depression, Hemingway killed himself. In examining the life of Ernest Hemingway, one can see that he contributed a great deal to the writing craft. He also left a lasting style that is emulated and utilized even into the 21st century.

Hemingway’s Other Works

  • In Our Time (1926)
  • The Sun Also Rises (1927)
  • A Farewell to Arms (1929)
  • To Have and Have Not (1937)
  • For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)
  • The Old Man and the Sea (1951)
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The Beat Generation, Authors, and Their Works

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Allen Ginsberg, a beat poet, is an extremely influential and accomplished poet. His poem, “A Supermarket in California,” is an amazing poem. It details themes of loneliness, consumerism, and the search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. With that in mind, The Beat Generation explored these types of themes in the confines of modern society. In this post, we will explore the history of this movement. And, we will examine the authors and the works that continue to inspire future poets.

History of the Beat Generation

These revolutionary pre-baby boomers grew up in the 1940s-1950s when there existed a romantic view of suburbia in America post-WWII. As such, it was in these halls of capitalist complacency, that the likes of Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and Gary Snyder emerged. Kerouac himself came up with the term “Beat Generation,” which addressed the beat down and disenfranchised with the system.

Furthermore, the home of this movement was in the prestigious schools out west (San Francisco). Here the most prominent writers could get published in journals and rebel against the intellectualism of the Enlightenment. These authors included William S. Burroughs, Kerouac, and Ginsberg. In fact, Kerouac himself coined the term “Beat,” which references both the beaten down spirit and the beatific enlightenment of spiritual reconnection.

The beat poets searched for myriad freedoms within their lives. They pushed against the constraints of capitalism, whether that be through spiritualism, sexuality, drugs, or other avenues of expression.

Major Themes and Authors

The authors from the Beat Generation focused on transgressive themes of the time. For instance, Ginsberg included homosexual musings in his poetry, and Kerouac included references to drugs and nature itself. in his novel On the Road. Burroughs, meanwhile, wrote about addiction in Naked Lunch. Other writers of this generation included references to Zen Buddhism and the culture of the Native Americans, as it reflected their perception of the natural world.

Similarly, and as sources state, Kerouac and Ginsberg had inspiration from the Romantic movement. They discussed “the New Vision,” which came from William Butler Yates, and they spent time refining their artistic purposes. The New Vision and indigenous culture helped inspire their free-form poetry and their minimalist writings.

The Beat Generation rejected traditional literary Formalism, embracing spontaneous prose and free verse to capture raw human experience. With poems like “Howl,” which saw a censorship trial, the Beat Generation advanced a more honest and evolved view of the United States that had been highly romanticized.

Blog, Literary Bios

Author Saul Bellow: Cynicism, Journalism, and Insight

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Journalism and a cynical eye go together well. Just check out Saul Bellow. Bellow’s own experience as a journalist, and a cynical one at that, can be the doorway for readers and writers to see how one’s background concretely influences their work. If you are interested in this type of writing then you would probably enjoy Humboldt’s Gift, The Adventures of Augie March, and Dangling Man. Probably part of the attraction to his writing stems from my own experience as a journalist, which provides some relationship to his time as a correspondent.

Saul Bellow’s History in Writing

Youth

Saul Bellow was born in a suburb of Montreal, Quebec, known as Lachine on June 10, 1915. He was the son and fourth child or Russian-Jewish immigrants, and his father’s talent “was for failure” (PBS). At the age of nine, his parents moved him to Chicago where he and his family lived without citizenship. He was, according to his father and brother, as the “schmuck with a pen,” as he had hopes for academia rather than the family coal business.

College and Early Writings

Eventually, he attended the University of Chicago and Northwestern University and graduated in 1937. Afterward, he attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin. During World War II, he served in the Merchant Marines. Similarly, Ralph Ellison also served in the Merchant Marines and wrote about topics in a similar cynical manner.

Bellow wrote Dangling Man in 1944. The novel detailed the life of an aimless man in America during wartime. The novel did very well with critics, which helped put Bellow on the map.

Award-Winning Novelist

Bellow wrote his biggest hit in 1953 with The Adventures of Augie March. He won the National Book Award for fiction in 1954 for its achievement. In 1964, Bellow wrote Herzog, which explored intellectualism, relationship, and a crisis of the soul.

Perhaps Bellow’s greatest accomplishment was receiving the Nobel Prize for literature in 1976 for his book Humboldt’s Gift (1975), in which he wrote about materialist society in Chicago. In the 1980s, Bellow published many works, from The Dean’s December (1982) to More Die of Heartbreak (1987).

Playwright and Short Story Author

Along with being a novelist, Bellow was also a playwright. He wrote three short plays and The Last Analysis. He also wrote short stories, and his work appeared in Partisan Review, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, and Playboy. Likewise, he taught at Bard College, Princeton University, and the University of Minnesota. Toward the end of his life, he served as a war correspondent for Newsday during the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1967.

Bellow died on April 5, 2005.

Works Cited

“Saul Bellow Biography and Life Timeline.” American Masters – PBS, URL: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/saul-bellow-biography-and-life-timeline/24349/.

“Saul Bellow. Goodreads. Web. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4391.Saul_Bellow

“Saul Bellow.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, URL: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saul-Bellow.

“Humboldt’s Gift.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt%27s_Gift.