Analysis Of Shirley Jackson And Kurt Vonneguts The Lottery

While America classical writing is often known for being dark and abstract, it often illustrates a deep message of truth that relates to the existing world. Through the mid to late 1900s Shirley Jackson and Kurt Vonnegut published a number of fictional pieces in the United States. During this time, each addressed the existing struggle between the individual and society. Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† and Kurt Vonnegut’s â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† are two stories that depict the oppression an individual faces when pitted to society. Jackson’s piece in particular points to the danger of blind following, while Vonnegut’s work addresses the danger in total equality. Through a number of means, both authors illustrate the danger in submissively†¦show more content†¦Regardless of the means by which the original box was lost, it was still preceded by the current box now utilized by the village. Because a precious town artifacts is not s imply misplaced, Jackson’s inclusion of this part of the box’s history points the reader towards past objectification of the lottery. Leading the villages to replace it with the current black box, the box was eventually replaced by the village. In addition, the color of the box also gives it symbolic means in context of lotteries nature. Jackson’s dual emphasis on the box being black gives its presence distasteful and undesirable tone. Black is considered to have a â€Å"very specific influence, as it is in many cultures connected with death† and â€Å"Men wearing black were seen as more aggressive† (Linhartova 2013). Color plays a significant role in setting mood and giving character. While it’s not directly stated, the lottery is an event that singles out an individual to be stoned to death. Therefore, it is fitting for the box to be colored back do to its influence it has on the village. In addition the box itself may not be aggressive, but the actions it leads to are more physically horrendous than normal town traditions, giving reason for the citizens to not have the desire to renovate the box while it is not being used. The tone which the box sets for the town is not one to be recon with, in fact