Essay on Shirley Jacksons The Lottery - Blind Obedience Exposed

Blind Obedience Exposed in The Lottery    The annual ritualistic stoning of a villager in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" parallels tradition in American culture.   This paper will inform the reader of the effect tradition has on characters in the short story "The Lottery" and how traditions still strongly influence people's lives in america.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Christian weddings hold many traditions and superstitions that seemingly defy logic.   Although most couples no longer have arranged marriages or dowries, fathers still give their daughters away during the services.   The bride and groom do not see each other before the ceremony, fearing that bad luck might come their way.   A friend scolded me because I had originally planned to marry at the top of the hour, and told me I should change it "just to be safe".   Society continues to hold these traditions and superstitions very dear because of cultural influences and the possibility of bad things happening.   In Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery", the annual ritualistic stoning of a villager parallels the traditions inherent in American culture.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The black box is a source symbol of tradition for the townspeople. The original box wore out many years ago, and a new box was built from pieces of the old.   This reflects customs in our own society.   For exam... ... time.   It is possible that they were simply afraid of what would happen to them if they changed or stopped the lottery.   Maybe they just went through the motions of the lottery without questioning why, or really giving it much thought.   Whatever the real reason, the tradition of the lottery continued.   I will also continue to uphold traditions at my wedding one-month from now when my father will give me away at half past the hour, and I will take great pains not to see my fiancà © before.      Work Cited: Jackson, Shirley.   "The Lottery."   Literature Reading, Reacting, Writing.   4th Ed. Ed. Camille Adkins. Orlando: Harcourt College Publishers, 2001. 315-322