Assignment 1) The Lottery by Shirley Jackson DEADLINE 17th of September
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
In 1948, The New Yorker published the most controversial short story in its history: "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, a 31-year-old wife and mother living in Vermont. The simply told tale covers a ritual lottery in a sunny, rural town. Soon after the piece was published, angry letters poured in to The New Yorker. Readers canceled their subscriptions. And while many claimed they didn't understand the story, the intense reaction indicated they understood it all too well.
You can read the story Here or Here
You can also watch the short (20min,) film HERE!
Choose ONE of the following questions. Write a paragraph of about 150 words.
- Use P.E.E.L and at least 2 Conditionals!
- Don't forget to start with your first name.
- - Shirley Jackson foreshadows the ending in multiple ways. How does she foreshadow the end? How do the character names (Mr. Graves, Mrs. Delacrois and Mr. Summers) play a role in this?
- - Describe the point of view of the story. How does the point of view affect what we know about the situation?
- - This story was published in 1948. Are there any cultural or historical events that Jackson might be commenting on here?
- - What kind of symbolism can you find? What do they represent?
- - Why do the villagers 'need' the lottery? Are there any real-life (perhaps not as gruesome) examples of traditions you'd rather see forbidden?
- - What do you think happens after this story? Do the villagers go back to normal life or do you think they are going to change their ways?
- - Shirley Jackson writes about seemingly normal people. How can normal people do such a vile and cruel thing? Use the term 'scapegoat' in your answer.
- In what way is the setting (=time and place) important in this story?
- How is this story different the second time you read/see it?
- How does Tessie change throughout the story?
Jolijn:
BeantwoordenVerwijderenPeople need the lottery because they believe they if they do this lottery the corn will grow faster. If I had to forbade a tradition, I would do Halloween. The people say: ‘lottery on June, corn be heavy soon’ you can find that on page 5 of the book the lottery. What they mean with this sentence is that if they do this the corn will be ready faster or they will get a better harvest. I would ban Halloween, if I could. Because I don’t think it has a meaning. Christmas is because of the birth of Jesus and Halloween is just making children scared and ask for candy. They believe that the harvest will be better if they do the lottery every year. And if I could ban a holiday, I would ban Halloween.
Jasmijn,
VerwijderenWhen you search online for the reason behind halloween you find that it does have a meaning. In Scotland It is a corruption of All Hallows' Even, the evening before All Saints' Day. Samhain was an important time of the year for the Celts. It marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter, a time of darkness and cold. Would this change your mind about banning halloween? Or would it change your opinion?
Demi,
VerwijderenI really like your opinion on Halloween and I totally agree with you on that, but I see some small grammar mistakes in your paragraph (forbade = forbid, faster = sooner). Furthermore, I think you repeated the fact that you wanted to ban Halloween too many times. I did really like that you stated where you could find the information that you used. So, I agree with you, but I think that the grammar of your paragraph could be a little bit better.
Nanou, I think your story is very clear and good. There are some grammar mistakes but you can understand the text eventhough there are some mistakes. I think you did a good job and nicely done
VerwijderenNanou:
BeantwoordenVerwijderenTessie is really changing in the story, she went from happy to sad and angry. Tessie came very late to the meeting of the inhabitants. She hadn’t any idea what day it was until everyone was gone. She went to the square. She was very happy, everyone was very happy. It was this particular day, their tradition. During the draw, she was still comfortable. Then her husband, Bill, grabbed it, the paper with the mark. Mrs. Hutchinson was shocked and angry. She was screaming at Mr. Summers that it was unfair. There were 5 in the household, Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson, Bill Jr., Nancy, and Dave. They all had to take a paper out of the box. If Tessie was the one who would grab the paper, she would be pelted by rocks and pebbles. It was Tessie, she was crying and scared, while everyone was grabbing the rocks. If she had known this all along, maybe she never would have come at all. She changes from happy to sad, as you saw in the text before. So Tessie changed, she was happy that it was June 27th, the day of the black box, but later you see she was not happy with the result at all.
Demi,
VerwijderenI agree with your observations on Tessie, but I think that your first conditional should have been 'If Tessie is the one who grabs the paper, she will be pelted by rocks and pebbles' because it is likely going to happen. I think your use of P.E.E.L. is really good. Your point and evidence are very clear and the link is also formed really well.
Jasmijn,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThe story the lottery can be different when you read it for the second time, it turns from boring to haunting. Because you can already kind of predict what is going to happen and the details suddenly sense when you start approaching the end. The cause of this is because the details and the mood say a lot about the story. They already gave a lot away at the beginning when the boys collected the stones, the girls scared and holding hands with their older brother or sister. When you read a story again the mood in the story can also change, at the end of the story you can understand what your feelings and opinions meant when you read it for the first time. So for this reasons said, I believe the story is different if you read it for the second time.
Jasmijn,
VerwijderenI posted a second story because this one isn't correct because the conditionals aren't in it!!
Jasmijn, (correct version)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThe story the lottery can be different when you read it for the second time, it turns from boring to haunting. Because you can already kind of predict what is going to happen and the details suddenly make sense when you start approaching the end. The cause of this is that the details and the mood say a lot about the story. They already gave a lot away at the beginning when the boys collected the stones, the girls scared and holding hands with their older brother or sister. When you read a story again the mood in the story can also change, at the end of the story you can understand what your feelings and opinions meant when you read it for the first time. If I had won that particular lottery, I would be happy if it was the first time I read it, when I had read the whole story and going into my second time I would have been screaming and running. for this reasons said, If I read a story for the second time, it will probably feel different.
Michelle,
Verwijderennice use on the conditionals, for example the 1st conditional with 'if i read a story for the second time, it will probably feel different' although i think your 3rd conditional should have been like this 'if i had won that particular lottery, i would have been happy.....' i think you forgot to add the 'have'
Michelle
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI am not too sure about what happened after Tessie got stoned to death. But I do think that it could take a while before the people in the town or village will ban this tradition. If you look at what Old Man Warner has to say about places that have already stopped doing lotteries (on the fifth page), you can see that he is quite unsatisfied with that and tends to look down on the young people when he calls them ‘a pack of young fools’. The main issue is that Old Man Warner is so focussed on keeping this tradition, and thereby influencing the other people, that the villagers don’t know how to do without it. Unless Old Man Warner suddenly changes his opinion on this matter, I don’t think anything will change.
Neel,
Verwijdereni think that you are absolutely correct in the matter of Old Man Warner, he definetly wants to continue this tradition for a long time. and i sure cannot miss the long conditional.
Demi,
VerwijderenI think that is not really clear which question you answered. I recognised some things from my paragraph, so I could figure out which question you were answering, but if I did not write about question 6 myself, it would have taken me a long time to figure it out. Also, I cannot find your second conditional. Your grammar is perfect (at least I thought so) and your paragraph is really nice to read.
Neel,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThere is quiet a difference in this story when you read it for the second time. When I read it for the first time, I did not know what to expect. It was a bit confusing for me. It was especially confusing for me, because the characters in the story were acting weird. if the author chose to write simple characters, I would probably understand the story much better in the beginning. However, I did understand the story at the end. So, if I read the story again, I would definitely understand why the characters acted in that way. For instance, why Tessie was so upset by winning this lottery, and why the children were collecting those stones especially stones that were smooth and round. When I read this story for the first time, I did not understand anything, but after reading the ending I understood it. So, if I would read this story again, I would understand everything from the beginning.
Michelle,
VerwijderenI like the way you used the 2nd conditionals with 'if i read the story again, i would.....' and although i'm not too sure wheter if and would can be in the same part of the scentence together in 'if i would read this story again....' but i'm not 100% sure so could be that i'm wrong
Jasmijn,
VerwijderenI really like your paragraph. you explain really clearly and state your opinion. you also have a good point and good use of the conditionals.
noah
VerwijderenSouhail
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI watch and read the story again, but I don´t think there changed much. I already had a feeling that this particular lottery wasn´t the same as any other lottery. The way that the story build up, the late coming of Mrs. Hutchinson. From the beginning I already knew something was off. But what the biggest difference was, was that I was surprised by Mrs. Hutchinson that she wasn’t happy about winning the lottery. In fact, she was screaming that it wasn´t fair. But of course the second time I already knew that. And the difference between watching it and reading it is that when reading, you picture in your mind how it would look like. But when I watched it, it seemed nothing like it. I mistook the black box for an crappy old box, like how it was described, but it didn´t look that outdated in the short film. But my question is if Mrs Hutchinson forgot completely about the lottery and stayed home, wouldn’t she have died? And if you haven’t read this story yet, go read it!
Demi,
VerwijderenI agree with you, the second time you read the story it is very different. I also liked how you compared reading the story with watching the story. However, there is some room for grammar improvement and I'm missing the link of your paragraph.
Rick
BeantwoordenVerwijderenFor me there was definitely a difference when I read it for the second time. When I started reading I did not have a clue of what to expect from the story. While I was reading it I also had a hard time understanding what was happening and why people were acting this way. For example, I thought the children were going to play with the stones, but instead they would be thrown at the winner of the lottery. I was also confused why Tessie didn’t want to win the lottery. If I won the lottery, I would definitely be happy. But after reading it for another time you’d understand that Tessie would get stoned to death. So, if you read this for a second time, you will definitely have a different view on the story.
Sannidhi:
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI believe that the villagers continued living their regular lives after the lottery, not changing their ways even though many other villages have stopped it. What had happened might have saddened Tessie’s family. In the story it’s stated that the box that is used for the lottery is "completely black and badly splintered" (on page 2) meaning that the box is very old, which indicates that it’s an incredibly old tradition that has been going on for a very long time.
They believe that they will have less crop if they don’t do this. This may be the reason they have the lottery in the first place. So the villagers think of it as something that is completely normal because they have been doing it for many years and after the lottery, they just go back to living their own lives. If I won this lottery, I think I would be really sad about it.
Bibi
VerwijderenYou've explained your opinion and thoughts on the question really wel. I understand you'd be sad to win because we'll.. You'd die...
Noah
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIn the short story the people say ‘lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.’ The people believe they need the lottery, because they think it will make the harvest better. But should we keep traditions like this? If I had to ban a tradition, I would ban bull fighting. Because it is a tradition that brings joy for the people, but the bulls have to fight for their lives and one way or another the bull always loses. Just like in the short story. In the short story a person is stoned to death. The people in the village believe, that if they stone someone, they will have a good harvest. But does the tradition really make the harvest better? It’s something the people believe in, to make them comfortable. But does the tradition then really have a purpose? Just like in the bull fights. Both traditions are both used to make people feel better, but there is always a sacrifice. That’s why I think we should ban traditions like this.
Lax:
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIt helped me to read it for the second time, because i didn't knew anything about the story. If i read it only 1 time, i would forget the whole story. In my opinoin it's always smart to read a text again, because the second time you recognize more. For me it helps a lot because im a slow reader. One of the things i did not understand was the prize you could win from the lottery. Most of the lottery's have a positive prize, money, car, or a house. But in the story you would be pelted with stones. When a read that a thought i was crazy, but i was right. If i won that lottery, i would. i'm going to die from those stones anyway ;). My advice is: If you don't understand a text, read again.
Bibi
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThe story was written in 1948 and you can definitely see that. Before the late 1900’s men were always seen as superior, the head of house. A woman couldn't work because that was a man’s job. a woman couldn’t vote, they had to stay at home and clean, cook, and take care of the children. The man of the house had to work to pay the bills and other expenses. In The Lottery Men have to draw a card. If a woman does it everyone stares and thinks it’s weird, asking if there’s not a single male in the household to do it like they asked Janey Dunbar when her husband broke his leg. Nowadays we are way more conscious of women rights and many people are feminists. If that was the case in 1948 the book would have probably been written differently. So yes I think you can tell that this was written in 1948
Demi
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI think that everyone will go back to normal life after the story. It seems that people think that the lottery is a normal ritual. They do it every year and are quite happy when they go to the town square. Because the people have done it many times, they are now used to the ritual. That the people show no emotion is also a sign that they have normalised the lottery. If I lived in a village where the lottery takes place, I would never be able to think that throwing rocks at a person is a normal thing to do. There also isn’t a single person upset, except Tessie, when it’s known that she has won. I don’t understand how Tessie’s family is not upset. If my mother won that lottery, I would protest and try to sacrifice myself for her. Because the villagers think it is normal, they will go back to their ordinary lives after the story and do the whole ritual again, next year.
I really liked you story, it is a good paragraph. it is good written with no errors. I think you did a really good job.
VerwijderenAyden
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI think that after the story the villagers go back to their normal life. Because it’s a tradition for the townspeople and they do it every year, I don’t see them changing their ways. This is because the people believe that if the lottery is held, there will be more corn. This putts pressure on the people because if the lottery isn’t held, they won’t have enough food to survive. And because the lottery is very old, a lot of people might not know better and think it’s a normal thing to do. Especially the children, who learn about the lottery at a very young age and play a big role in it by collecting the stones to throw at the winner. Because of these reasons I don’t see anything changing soon in this town unless it becomes illegal to continue.
Daniel
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAfter the horrific end of ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson, I think everyone went back to their normal lives. The reason being that when reading the story, the villagers did not seem bothered that they had to beat a fellow member of their community to death, If they had really cared they would have reacted very differently. This would imply that they are accustomed to this event and that it is a part of their ordinary lives. If you read the story further, you will see that it says that the lottery is older than the oldest villager, also known as old man warner meaning that the lottery is quite old, this could be another reason for villagers to be accustomed to the lottery and returning back to their normal lives, because it has been a tradition for so long. These reasons lead to believe that the people of the village would return to their normal lives.
Aryan
VerwijderenI think you state valid reasons for why they don't react to it and you have a great use of vocabulary
Ayden
VerwijderenYou made some very interesting reasons about why the villagers didn't react and I think that your use of conditionals is very good.
Aryan
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI think that after the lottery, the villagers returned to their normal lives because there was no reason for them not to. This is because it is a yearly occurrence for them and it has been for years, it states in the text that the box is older than the oldest villager: old man Warner, so if the lottery is older than the oldest person, it is older than everyone and therefor it is a very normal tradition, and everybody is used to it. So, if someone had a negative or surprised reaction to it, it would be the same as someone being surprised by Christmas. So, because the lottery is the same for them as a holiday like Christmas is for us, they would have no reason to have a significant reaction to it which means that they would return to their normal lives.
I like the structure of your paragraph and the vocabulary your using for example "occurrence"
Verwijderen-Daniel
VerwijderenKamila,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIf you read the story the second time, you will feel a lot different than the first time. The first time you read the little details, you will feel bored, because you don’t know why she adds them to the story. You will think it’s unnecessary and that it is too specific. For example, the author explained that the boys were making a pile of stones, you didn’t know what that had to do with anything. After you read the story the specific details will start to add up and make the big picture complete. If you read it the second time, your mood probably will change from confused to astonished. You realise that everything in the story had its purpose and nothing she wrote was just a coincidence. All this shows that if you read the story twice it completely changes how you viewed it the first time.
Anke
BeantwoordenVerwijderenif you read the story another time, it doesn't feel the same. Because you know what is going to happen, the story turns darker if you read it again, knowing that the lottery is not a positive thing at all but rather scary. At first you would think that you would be happy if you won the lottery, expecting something like a big prize, but your thoughts will really change on that. Additionally, the first time reading you wouldn't think anything special of all the details that are in the story, like the young boys making piles of stones and the girls being scared, but reading it once again you realise it all makes sense and that all the details have a role in the story. Thus, I believe the story changes if you read it again for all of the above reasons.
sophia: I believe that the villagers returned to normal life after the lottery because there was no reason for them not to do so. This is because it is a normal tradition for them that has been happening for years. In the text is stated that the box is older than the oldest villager—old man Warner—so if the lottery is older than the oldest person, it is older than everyone. So, if someone reacted negatively or was shocked by it, it would be similar to being shocked by Christmas. And they die if they get chosen. They're only afraid when they are chosen, but the other days of the year you don't need to worry.
BeantwoordenVerwijderen