What could be a thesis statement for an essay on "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, discussing the symbolism highlighting the theme?

Keeping the thematic focus suggested above, you could add on to this by developing arguments about the symbols of death that are prominent in the story.  The color black which we often associate with death pervades the story in its use for important items in the lottery:  the black box and the black-spotted paper.  You might also mention the symbolism behind characters' names such as Mr. Summers (ironically) and Mr. Graves.

What is a good thesis statement for "The Lottery"?

A good thesis statement presents a claim (an interpretive stance on a story that can be defended using textual evidence) and is a position with which someone else could disagree. Concerning Jackson's short story, "The Lottery," you could certainly argue that the behavior of the villagers makes it clear that people have a difficult time letting go of traditions or accepting change.

In order to defend this claim, you might discuss the fact that Mr. Summers, who runs the lotteries, has asked people about making a new box for use during the ceremony because the old one is so splintered, faded, and stained. However, the narrator says, "no one like to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box." People tend to cling to the things that they know, and these individuals know their lottery; why should they consider making changes if things have always run relatively smoothly for them? Anyone who has ever been selected to die in the lottery might have quickly developed a problem with it, but those people are—obviously—all dead. When Old Man Warner hears that people in the north village have talked about ending the lottery, he calls them a "Pack of crazy fools" and declares that nothing is good enough for young people. A fear of becoming obsolete, of being left behind, then, is perhaps the reason people cling so tightly to what is familiar and have such a difficult time embracing change, however small or however unjust the familiar tradition is.

What is a good thesis statement for "The Lottery"?

When constructing a thesis statement, my students often find it helpful to build the main points of the body paragraphs right into the wording. A thesis statement constructed this way might read:

A society that blindly accepts all societal traditions is dangerous, divisive, and demoralizing.

You now have three body paragraphs to build. In the first, you’ll be looking for examples of this being a dangerous society. Tessie Hutchinson dies for no other reason than random luck. She has committed no crime, but the blind acceptance of tradition is not questioned as people pick up their rocks for her stoning. In the second body paragraph, you’ll look for examples of this society being divisive. In a desperate attempt to save herself, Tessie is willing to throw her own daughters under the bus to decrease her own chances of death by stoning.

Still, this divisive attempt to spare herself doesn’t open anyone’s eyes to the injustices of the situation. And in the third body paragraph, you will look for examples of how this society demoralizes people. Tessie is reduced to an insignificant entity, suddenly not deserving to live another day as she simply draws an unlucky piece of paper. Even children’s names can be drawn to die. The lack of societal values are horrific because people blindly accept nonsensical traditions.

A defendable thesis is crucial to a well-constructed paper. Be sure your points are textually significant and use a few quotes to further defend your position.

What is a good thesis statement for "The Lottery"?

A good thesis would clearly state would you believe to be the theme or meaning of the story. To be solid, a thesis statement must state an opinion that is both specific and defensible.

You might, for example, want to point out that the story makes an argument that clinging to outworn traditions can be destructive, but that it is difficult to change. In the story, the town continues to have an annual lottery to choose a human sacrifice, believing that stoning a person to death will insure a good harvest.

But by the late 1940s, when the story was written, most people would have been well aware that human sacrifices don't guarantee a bountiful harvest. However, the village as a whole is unwilling to relinquish a tradition that seems to be a part of who they are. They are uncomfortably aware of how barbaric the practice is, but they can't seem to change.

You could write the following as a thesis:

Shirley Jackson shows in "The Lottery" that clinging to outmoded traditions is both destructive and difficult to change.

You would then collect quotes and details from the story that back up both claims. You want to be sure that your support is both sufficient and relevant. "Sufficient" means that you have enough evidence to convincingly support your claim, and "relevant" means that the quotes and facts you have chosen actually back up the claim you are making.

What is a good thesis statement for "The Lottery"?

One thesis statement for "The Lottery" could be a declarative sentence about the atavistic propensity for violence that still lies in the nature of man, along with a blind adherence to tradition, an adherence that Emerson termed "the opium of custom."

That there is yet a proclivity for violence in the boys is evinced in their excited gathering of stones and placing of certain ones into their pockets in the exposition of the story. Bobby Jones, Harry Jones, and Dickie Delacroix make a massive pile of rocks and guard it against raiders so that they will have them available when they need more during the stoning. The fathers, who stand around quietly talking and joking, make no comment to the boys about their actions.

When Tessie Hutchinson's name is called, no one expresses any sympathy or tries to have her excused from the proceedings. Instead, the woman who has just finished a friendly conversation with Tessie, Mrs. Delacroix, now tells her to "be a good sport, Tessie." Another woman, Mrs. Graves—the wife of the postmaster, who helps with the procedure—says unsympathetically, "All of us took the same chance. Even Tessie's husband scolds her, "shut up." This complicit behavior of the community with the proceedings of the lottery suggests that no one empathizes with Tessie, nor does anyone demonstrate sympathy for her plight and protest the violent death Tessie faces. Moreover, when the stoning begins, Mrs. Delacroix, who has been friendly with Tessie, has a stone "so large she had to pick it up with both hands." She turns to another woman, saying, "Come on. . . . Hurry up," apparently eager to inflict violence on her neighbor.

I need a thesis statement for "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.

A thesis statement should be a claim that is based on your opinion about something in the story. It should not be a fact or include quotations, but it must take a position with which someone else could potentially argue. If you are tasked with coming up with your own paper topic, you might begin by asking yourself what you feel are the most interesting aspects of the story. For example, it seems pretty crazy to think of a woman being stoned to death by her family and town simply because she was unlucky enough to draw the one piece of marked paper. You might be curious as to why the town would continue with this practice of the lottery. A thesis that attempts to explain why this practice is still in use based on the evidence in the story would be interesting. It seems as though these are a people who like to maintain tradition, regardless of whether or not it seems currently relevant. Do you think there might be something here?

Or, taking a different tack, you might wonder if it is mere coincidence that Tessie Hutchinson—the only woman who is late to the lottery, the only woman who jokes around with Mr. Summers—draws the marked paper. Perhaps it's not coincidence, but she's been singled out because of her outspokenness? Admittedly, such an argument would be more difficult to construct but very interesting to consider!

I need a thesis statement for "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.

What kind of paper do you have to write?  If you could share that, we can suggest ideas for a thesis.

I need a thesis statement for "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.

If you are asking what a thesis statement of the story itself is, realize there are many.  This story contains implicit, or implied, thesis statements, but it does not contain an explicit one.  This is often the case when the story means something more than its surface meaning.

Some of the implied thesis statements might be, "Humans often treat each other very inhumanly."  Another might be that "Tradition followed blindly can become outdated and even be harmful."  Another one can be attributed to Bruce Springsteen:  "Blind faith in anything can get you killed."

If you are looking to write an essay on the story, you could use any of the above as a thesis statement.

What is a possible thesis sentence related to the symbols in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson?

In Understanding Fiction,  Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren suggest unease with the story's structure, contending that Shirley Jackson has 

preferred to give no key to her parable, but to leave its meaning to our inference.

Working with "The Lottery" as a parable, why not focus on the symbols as keys to this parable?  One approach sees certain characters as representative of social classes:  Mr. Graves and Mr. Summer represent the upper class because of their power and money, while Bill Hutchinson and Mr. Adams represent the working class.  The lottery represents fate that determines people's social class.

Another approach has the names suggestive of other things.  Mr. Graves represents the imminent death that waits for the person with the black mark.  Even Mrs. Delacroix--the French word choix means cross--has symbolic meaning, as does Mr. Summers, whose name represents the time of year of the lottery.  The black box is the coffin/doom and forthcoming death; the lottery represents the random and senseless acts of violence in human beings.

So, a thesis about symbols could be about how they give meaning to Jackson's parable about man in her short story, "The Lottery." 

See the site below for additional criticisms:

What is a possible thesis sentence related to the symbols in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson?

As with the development of all papers and writing samples much will be present with what you have in front of you.  Simply put, determining your thesis statement might be contingent on what you know and what you can argue.  There are many elements to Jackson's work which you can analyze or study.  I think that being able to assess which component of it you will spend time addressing in your writing sample and what ideas or concepts you can explain through writing will be another part of this process.  Once these areas have been settled, I think you will find it easier to construct your thesis statement.  Until then, it will be a bit more difficult.  Simplicity might be the first step in this process.  What did you get out of the work?  What is it you are being asked to do in analyzing the work in your writing?  These steps along with assembling what is in front of you should help in constructing a thesis statement and then a paper.

What would be a good thesis statement having to do with the setting for the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson?

Concerning setting in Jackson's "The Lottery," remember that setting includes what characters know, as well as what characters own and the usual things one thinks of when dealing with setting:  in this case the village, the rock pile, the weather, the people, etc. 

Also remember that what you know of the setting comes to you from the narrator.  This means that your understanding of the setting is dependent on the narrator. 

In, "The Lottery," then, the detached, somewhat objective narrator does not reveal elements of the setting that would reveal what the lottery is really all about until after you have already been led to believe that these are just normal people doing normal things.  And, of course, that is the point.  Normal people are capable of great violence under certain conditions. 

Thus, a thesis using these ideas could read something like:

The setting, as revealed by the objective narrator, leads to the surprise ending and the horror that is created by that ending. 

Or, to get back to something the narrator doesn't reveal about what the characters know:

The speaker in "The Lottery" keeps an element of setting--what readers know--from the reader in order to hide the truth of what the lottery really is.

A thesis like these would connect the setting to another vital element of the story's structure, which is what you ask for in the second part of your question.   

What would be a good thesis statement having to do with the setting for the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson?

To me, the main importance of the setting in this story is that it sets up the shock of the ending.  The setting is so nice -- a small village full of nice people -- but what happens in the village is so horrible.  My thesis statement would reflect that.   If I were writing a thesis statement, I would say something like this:

"The idyllic setting of the small, peaceful village in "The Lottery" makes the story all the more horrible once we find out what is going on in the village's lottery."

I hope that's somewhat helpful -- good luck!

I would like a thesis statement for my paragraph about the significance of the setting in "The Lottery"

The other thing about the setting of "The Lottery" is that non-Americans look at the setting and know immediately that it is an American town. It is a stereotypical view of small town America. In fact the setting reflects small town life...anywhere. Everyone knows everyone else and their business. This makes the stoning of one of their own even more horrific and barbaric.

Also don't forget to look at the contemporary context. Setting includes time, place and social environment and any discussion of setting should look at all three areas.

I would like a thesis statement for my paragraph about the significance of the setting in "The Lottery"

You could pull in the irony that the woman who is this year's victim was almost not there...she was late because she was caught up in the duties of the day.  I'll bet she wished she had been later, don't you?

I would like a thesis statement for my paragraph about the significance of the setting in "The Lottery"

Ms. Jackson's description of the town and the people who live there create 'safe' and 'familiar' images that most Americans can identify with, regardless of whether the reader actually lived in such a place. It is against that Norman Rockwell picture of an American town that her story of unspeakable horror unfolds. I think your thesis statement should reflect this paradox. For example, 'It was the kind of day where the apple pies sat cooling on windowsills just waiting to be dessert that evening, however there was something else floating in the air that day, something that could make you lose your appetite......'

Think about the town, then think about the preoccupation of the folks in the town. Hope this helps...Good Luck

How is a thesis formed on the theme of "The Lottery"?

"The thesis statement is that sentence or two in your text that contains the focus of your essay and tells your reader what the essay is going to be about."

Your thesis should examine the nature of human behavior that is illustrated in this story.  A thorough analysis of the motivation of the behavior how the people in this town can continue a tradition, a ritual killing that takes place every year like an annual picnic.

My analysis would include a primitive belief, as exhibited by Old Man Warner, that long held traditions should never be disrespected or disregarded even when it is clear that they have outlived their usefulness.  The people in the town can't remember why the lottery was started, or what its purpose is, but it is linked with a bountiful harvest.

There is a suggestion in this story that human sacrifice is necessary for the survival of the population.  The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one, so to speak.  The relevance of the human sacrifice has been lost on the modern town, yet they cling to the process, frightened to abandon it, even though it is not wholly supported or highly regarded by the townspeople anymore.    

What is a good thesis statement about gender roles in "The Lottery"?

A good thesis statement for an introductory paragraph on gender roles in "The Lottery" for a Gender Theory/Gender Studies course might be something like this:

In "The Lottery," Shirley Jackson depicts a traditional patriarchal society as cruel and inflexible, marginalizing and victimizing women.

The only major female character in the story is Mrs. Hutchinson, the victim. The officials who run the lottery, Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves, are male, as is Old Man Warner, the greatest enthusiast for the ceremony.

Moreover, the way in which the lottery is run shows the traditional sexism of this society. A man draws the slip of paper in his capacity as the head of his family. His wife draws only if her husband is unable to be present, and she has no adult sons. Jack Watson is only just old enough to draw on behalf of his mother, and the voices in the crowd murmur approval at his assuming this role, saying things like, "Glad to see your mother’s got a man to do it." Although the sacrificial victim might, in other years, be male, it seems apposite that in the one example the reader sees, this male-dominated procedure concludes with the ritual stoning of a woman.

What is a thesis statement on human nature in "The Lottery" by Jackson?

Since you've specifically requested help, even though you now have a good answer to your question, I'll go ahead and answer with some alternate thoughts. Another aspect you might address is whether you think Jackson does or does not represent human nature adequately.

It seems to me, that while Jackson makes a point about blindly following blind tradition in which superstitious demands supersede other considerations, she does not understand or represent human nature well at all.

so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner.

"Well, now." Mr. Summers said soberly, "guess we better get started, get this over with, so's we can go back to work. Anybody ain't here?"

We know that civilizations have practiced human sacrifices from the beginning of time--but has Jackson really captured the essence of the psychology behind it? Is there not archaeological evidence that much deeper and prolonged ritual is involved and much more severe tyranny governs the societies that practiced human sacrifice?

You might look at some recent research on the archaeological findings relating to the Mayan civilization and discuss whether Jackson depicts a true or a stilted, artificial, and wholly inadequate picture of humanity.

most of them were quiet, wetting their lips, not looking around.

he stood a little apart from his family, not looking down at his hand.

You might then answer the question of whether Jackson's point is made null and void or only made irritating by a an inadequate representation of humanity. A thesis might say something like: While Jackson's theme of the falseness of adhering blindly to superstition may be true, valid and correct, her representation of human nature may be less than adequate so that her understanding of motive and psychology may make her point less than applicable.

What is a thesis statement on human nature in "The Lottery" by Jackson?

There are multiple ways to examine the idea of human nature in Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery." The some of the main themes which exist in the story are tradition and sacrifice.

When teaching this to my own students, I first examine the ideology of tradition and sacrifice. We, as a society, are very familiar with these concepts. For many, it is in their nature to sacrifice and adhere to traditions.

Therefore, while societies in America no longer take part in stoning for crops, Americans actively partake in traditions and sacrifice for the benefit of their families and communities.

It is our nature to make sacrifices for those we love, those in our community, and those who we determine less fortunate. We partake in traditions which have been passed down by our own ancestors, regardless of its silliness or place in our lives today. We simply do them based upon the tradition and respect.

A good thesis regarding human nature in Jackson's "The Lottery" would examine the traditions society adheres to today regardless of how people outside of the "loop" look at them. The story does not simply respect a singular time and place in history outside of the stoning aspect. The more important aspect examined is the adherence to tradition and sacrifices made, without questioning, in society in today's cultures.

What is a thesis statement relating to the allegory in "The Lottery"?

An allegory is an extended metaphor that contains characters, settings, and/or events that have symbolic meaning. It is also common for an allegorical story to explore moral lessons or societal situations. Jackson's short story "The Lottery" is a good example of an allegory. You could explore how the story points out problems with blindly following tradition for the sake of tradition. You could explore how the story deals with the idea of using a scapegoat, or you could focus your paper on how the story deals with people being "stone throwing" conformists.

Your paper could deal with all of the previous topics; however, I would advise against doing that. Dealing with that many specific topics will likely make the paper feel disjointed and less focused. If you do want to tackle more than one of those options in the same paper, then I recommend having the thesis focus on the allegorical angle about blindly following tradition. The other two concepts could be used as examples of support.

The other key to your thesis is that it will need to alert your reader to the fact that your paper is going to explore more than only the events of the story. As an allegory, you will want to extend your analysis to some kind of real world event (either past or present). A thesis might include how her allegory symbolically illustrates a problem longstanding in the church.

What is a potential thesis statement on rituals and human behavior in "The Lottery"?

When discussing rituals and human nature as shown in Jackson's "The Lottery," you must include the concept of blind, or mindless, ritual and its relationship to human nature. You might even discuss whether any ritual can be mindful or whether all must be--by definition--mindless and blind and unthinking. Personally, I think there can be rituals that are not blind and mindless; your research will guide you in forming a reasoned opinion.

What is a potential thesis statement on rituals and human behavior in "The Lottery"?

I agree with mwestwood. Whatever your thesis is it needs to be something that can be argued. We can't really argue that mindless following of ritual can be harmful--that's a common sense issue. What could be argued is something like "The mindless following of ritual in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" is shocking, yes, but no more so than the mindless rituals observed by modern society," or "The use of a scapegoat in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" is appalling, but this is still a trend followed in our more modern society."

What is a potential thesis statement on rituals and human behavior in "The Lottery"?

You may also wish to research the concept of the scapegoat and how it has become entrenched in even modern society, at least figuratively.  In the Iran-Contra scandal of Ronald Reagan's administration, for example, Oliver North became the scapegoat.  There is an inherent predilection in humanity for sadistic behavior, and it manifests itself in choosing a scapegoat so that the others can feel relieved of the problem, or better about themselves.

What is a potential thesis statement on rituals and human behavior in "The Lottery"?

Your thesis statement largely depends on what you intend to say about rituals and human behavior, what position you intend to take.  I'm assuming, since the question is asked in "The Lottery" discussion site, you're taking the position that rituals are both integral to (inherent in?) human behavior and also perhaps responsible for some bad human behavior.  In that case, your thesis might read something like this:  "Human behavior is controlled, at least to some degree, by its inherent reliance on rituals, as demonstrated in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery."  Perhaps your position is that rituals lead to bad behavior, or that mindless adherence to empty rituals is a cause of human suffering. 

Whatever your position is, the thesis must reflect that. Your research should help you determine your position; if you haven't done enough of that yet, this may be quite difficult for you.  In any case, unless I must stick with a predetermined thesis, I always see a thesis as a work in progress until I'm actually working on the paper.  What I think I'm going to find isn't always what I actually find; and what I think I believe may not end up being what I truly believe.  That's the beauty of research.

What is the thesis of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery"?

The thesis—or, more precisely, the theme—of "The Lottery" presents tradition as a destructive force in a community. In this story, the residents of a New England village cling to a tradition of annual human sacrifice. At one time, presumably before the advent of modern science and presumably when life was harder for the new settlers, the villagers fell back on the superstitious belief that they would have a good harvest if they selected and stoned to death one member of their community each June.

While the origins of the custom are lost in history, we know the tradition dates back to well before the birth of the oldest villager. Though the villagers must now know by the mid-twentieth century that there is no logical reason to maintain this custom, they do so anyway.

The story is chilling because this tradition has been so normalized. Children are let out of school and gather piles of stones on a beautiful day, as if this community killing is a happy and festive occasion. Tessie Hutchinson goes along with the lottery until she is chosen as its victim, at which point she decides it is unfair. This points to a second theme of the story: it is important to stand up to cruel practices, because you could easily become the next victim.

What is the central idea in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson?

Shirley Jackson issues a warning to be an independent thinker in her story “The Lottery.” Everyone goes along with the lottery merely because it is a tradition. No one ever thinks about what is really happening—each year they are killing one of their loved ones.

People gather on what seems to be an ordinary sunny day: the men discuss crops and taxes, the women gossip, and the children “broke into boisterous play.” There is no indication that anything terrible is about to happen. The lottery is an annual tradition, with specific rituals observed. It happens on June 27, Mr. Summers oversees it, a specific box is used to hold the slips of paper. The box is falling apart, but although people talk about replacing it, “no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box.” The town is heavily influenced by custom. No one evaluates the true purpose and the effect of the lottery.

In fact, the purpose of this particular tradition should be discussed so that people would see the ritual for what it really is: sanctioned murder. The narrator hints at the original purpose with Old Man Warner’s saying: “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.” If indeed the lottery was originally put in place as a sort of sacrifice to the gods for a good crop season, why is it now continued? Anyone who questions it is immediately dismissed. Another town that might abolish the tradition is considered to be a “pack of crazy fools” because “there’s always been a lottery.”

Tessie is excited about the lottery, just like everyone else, until she wins. Then she is hit with an epiphany: this tradition is not such a good one after all. But it’s too late, and her pleas of “It isn’t fair, it isn’t right” go unheard. In fact, her young son Davy is part of the crowd that stones her. The children are not exempt from this barbaric ritual, which Jackson hints will continue as long as people hide from free thought.

Jackson’s message is this: think for yourself instead of blindly following tradition. People are afraid to think about why the lottery is continued, perhaps because they fear what they will learn. Juxtaposing the neighboring town, which considers breaking free of custom, with people like Old Man Warner, who fiercely adheres to ritual, highlights the ignorance of not thinking for oneself.

What is the central idea in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson?

The central idea of Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" concerns the dangers of blindly following traditions. In the short story, a community gathers in their town square to participate in the annual lottery. The citizens draw slips from an ominous black box, and whoever picks the slip of paper with a black spot on it is stoned to death by their family, friends, and neighbors. Tragically, Tessie Hutchinson "wins" the lottery and is violently stoned to death by her community members. This barbaric tradition is horrifying, senseless, and outdated. The fact that much of the ritual involved in the ceremony is forgotten (the beginning of the lottery is apparently connected to the superstitious belief that an innocent person's blood will increase the harvest yield) emphasizes Jackson's message concerning the dangers of blindly following traditions. Traditionalists like Old Man Warner believe that stopping the lottery would be ridiculous. Old Man Warner even refers to the northern villages that have put an end to the tradition as a "Pack of crazy fools," which is ironic; to us, the northern citizens appear progressive and rational for stopping the barbaric tradition. Tessie Hutchinson's senseless, horrific death at the end of the story highlights Jackson's message about the dangers of blindly following tradition.

What is the central idea in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson?

There are, I'm sure, differing opinions on this, but most people see the central idea of "The Lottery" as the idea that blind adherence to tradition and to authority is a very bad idea, for individuals or for communities.  This is a story in which people participate in a ritual that ends in the certain death of one of their own, and no one in the story even knows why! Yet they all happily follow Mr. Summer's instructions, to the bitter end.  I have read that Jackson had Nazi Germany in her mind as she wrote this story, as an answer to the question of how in the world people could live within a few miles of a concentration camp and be completely unaware that Jews, Gypsies, and many others were being slaughtered in the hundreds of thousands. The story does to some degree explain this, but its theme is really universal, telling us that even in the loveliest and most innocent-seeming of villages, there is a price to be paid for not questioning tradition and not thinking for oneself.  

What do you think Shirley Jackson is driving at in "The Lottery"?

Jackson is driving at a couple key themes.  One of the main ones is simply the danger of conformity.  Look at how the villagers are perfectly willing to abandon their individual daily activities to unite for such a violent tradition/ceremony.  Old Man Warner personifies this theme well.  He comments how there has always been a lottery and there should always be one.  He simply follows the tradition because it has always been in place.  Mrs. Hutchinson did so too, until it was her turn to face the consequences of winning the lottery.  When this happens, her entire family - and community - turns on her for the sake of tradition, and they all take part in killing her.

Another key theme is the human capacity for violence and cruelty.  Again the community doesn't question such a violent tradition.  They just obediently follow along.  The fact that villagers can be so normal and docile one moment, and then turn on a fellow villager so cruelly a few minutes later is truly shocking.  This theme is further highlighted by the excellent article by Shirley Jackson stating the fallout and repercussions of publishing her story in 1948.  Click on the last link below for access to the article.  The final paragraph of that article is just as shocking as Jackson's story itself, for it elaborates on what some of Jackson's readers really wanted to know about the lottery.

What do you think Shirley Jackson is driving at in "The Lottery"?

The focus on this story is how the power of tradition can blind us and force us to commit horrendous and unforgivable acts of barbarity and terror. If you re-read the story, note how emphasis is placed on the importance of carrying out the Lottery and how other communities have stopped practising it, much to the chagrin of the townspeople.

What do you think Shirley Jackson is driving at in "The Lottery"?

Clearly she has illuminated how the darkness of ignorance quite frequently ends in horrifying results. The community is mired in the ignorance of how things have always been. They refuse to move along towards enlightenment as other communities have. In addition, she highlights the danger of blindly following the ignorance of tradition for tradition's sake.

What do you think Shirley Jackson is driving at in "The Lottery"?

She is obviously against tradition for tradition's sake.  People have long forgotten the reason the lottery was started (much like the feud between the infamous Hatfields and McCoys), yet it continues on without much of a rebellion.

She is also yelling loudly against conformity.  Refuse to be a lemming!  Be a leader, think for yourself, do not participate in a lottery just because that's the way it's always been.  Move!

What issues does Shirley Jackson raise in "The Lottery"?

Some believe Jackson was delving into the question of the Holocaust. She wanted to know how the people of Poland, Germany and other countries could know what was going on in the next town, or in their own, and not lift a finger to help. How could humans sink to a level where they could watch woman, children, or the elderly, those who society have been taught to protect, and do nothing. Perhaps because humans are inherently selfish when it comes to their safety. Perhaps humans are truly cowards at heart.

What issues does Shirley Jackson raise in "The Lottery"?

I think that one of the most profound and intense issues that comes out of the short story is how the notion of the "banality of evil" is approached.  There is a desensitizing effect to the lottery in the small town that strikes the reader as shocking.  The question as to why no one speaks out against such an inhumane practice is what the reader is left to assess.  Yet, the most profound implications are not in the story.  When the reader has to gauge what happened in the story, the most logical consequence is to introspectively examine the role of the reader in the narrative.  What would be done if we were Tessie in a similar situation?  What would be done if we were to encounter an Old Man Warner in a parallel predicament?  Do we possess the courage to speak out against something we know is wrong when we see it or would be remain silent, being more comfortable in progressing with the group?  These are issues that are raised in the short story.  They strike at the very essence of who we are, in what we believe, and how we approach the presence of evil, no matter how banal it may be, in our own lives.  Jackson creates a story that operates more as a looking glass, more of a mirror, into our own sense of identity as much as we assess what is happening in the story.

What is the significance of Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery"?

Controversial because of its grisly ending--some readers cancelled their subscriptions when it first appeared in the New Yorker in 1948--Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" has gone on to be anthologized many times over in high school textbooks. Briefly, it tells the story of a group of ordinary and convivial villagers who assemble one fine summer morning to engage in an ancient tradition accompanied by a half-forgotten ritual. It requires the townspeople --divided by the official conveners of the rite into households and families--to draw paper lots from a black box somewhat the worse for wear. A housewife, Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson, draws a paper ballot marked with a black dot, whereupon her erstwhile neighbours and friends close in around her and stone her to death. The power of this short fiction gem lies in the uneasy juxtaposition of homespun and horror. But from this tension rises the author's point. When rituals are uncoupled from the reality they signify--when rite becomes rote--then they descend into violence. In other words, the dead hand of tradition deals out death. A necessary, if bloody ritual sacrifice, meant to restore cosmic fertility, has become desacralized and an excuse for pointless bloodletting.

What is the significance of Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery"?

The short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is about a small town in which its inhabitants have maintained an ancient practice that began with their ancestors. This ancient practice is “the lottery”. In this lottery, the name of a person is drawn from a peculiar box. The event is led and conducted by the town’s elders. The end of the lottery occurs when the person whose name gets drawn gets stoned to death.

Nobody in the village ever questioned the rationale for the lottery, and that is precisely what brings out the depth of its meaning:  The stagnant state of mind that prevents our mental development and leads us to aberration.

The fact that the villagers continued to carry on with a tradition that was outdated, morbid, and made no sense, is indicative of stagnation, ignorance, and lack of common sense. Not questioning the status quo and preserving traditions that serve no purpose are also indicative of a mentality that resists change. Resisting change is conducive to philosophical, psychological, and physical extinction. The lottery, therefore, represents social and psychological stagnation.

What is the significance of Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery"?

When we think about the significance of any work we have to consider the importance of the message that the author is trying to convey. In this short story, it is clear that what Jackson is doing is challenging our preconceptions and ideas and turning the mirror of what happens in the story on to us by examining the role tradition has in our lives and how it can lead us to engage in practices that are cruel and inhumane.

Old Man Warner is a crucial character to examine in this regard. He, more than any of the other characters, represents the forces of tradition that are against change, even when change is clearly to be preferred. Note what he says about other villages that have abandoned the practice of the lottery:

Old Man Warner snorted. "Pack of crazy fools," he said. "Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live that way for a while. Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery," he added petulantly.

Note the arguments for maintaining the stasis. According to Old Man Warner, any form of change is wrong and is equivalent to taking humanity back to "living in caves." Also note that the tradition of human sacrifice is linked to good crops. Thus Jackson severely challenges us by making us think of what inhumane practices we carry on doing, year in and year out, under the banner of "tradition." Perhaps, she suggests, we are not so far away from these bloodthirsty villagers than we think.

Justify Shirley Jackson’s thoughts in writing "The Lottery."

Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" is often thought to be a story primarily about scapegoating.  For whatever reason (the ambiguity appears to be intentional), the people of the town sacrifice one person a year for the sake of the town and the townspeople.

Literally the story might present similarities to societies of the past in which humans really were sacrificed, or blamed then sacrificed.  Figuratively, though, scapegoating is universal.  I don't believe one could find a single society or culture that didn't or doesn't scapegoat.  Even if publicly and politically and officially a society doesn't scapegoat, its members certainly do privately.  Women, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Jews, Irish, Italians, Polish, English, Catholics, etc., have all been blamed for society's ills in the United States alone. 

In short, scapegoating is universal.  Therefore, "The Lottery" can't help but be relevant, and Jackson justified in writing it. 

What point is Shirley Jackson making about certain kinds of rituals and traditions in her short story "The Lottery"?

Shirley Jackson's much-anthologized short story "The Lottery" is a particularly traumatic transaction between reader and text. Through its narrative, the reader is relentlessly and finally compelled to ask the hitherto taboo question: 'How much is our society also laced with mindless, but brutal traditions?' To do this Jackson first lulls the reader into assimilating the pleasant, even prosaic behaviour of a nameless small town. On a benign early summer day the villagers have paused in their affairs to participate in a traditional lottery:

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. The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; in some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner.

As it unfolds, the narrative - as if creating a tapestry - stitches in more and more apparently innocuous details. But at a certain point, earlier for some, later for others, the reader begins to realize that winning the lottery is not the lucky event one would expect. Inexorably the reader has been brought into the circle of townspeople who pick up stones to execute the unwilling winner of the lottery, Tessie Hutchinson. At the same time, the reader recalls that details overlooked have been preparation for the acceptance of ritual sacrifice. This was alluded to, but dismissed in an earlier reader/text transaction when Old Man Warner, the village's outspoken redneck opines: "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon." The reader, in some consternation, realizes that he or she has become an unwilling participant and victim of an age-old ritual of scapegoating, now moribund, where only the bloodlust remains. Herein lies the reader's trauma which constitutes an essential part of the meaning of the story.

What point is Shirley Jackson making about certain kinds of rituals and traditions in her short story "The Lottery"?

One of the central themes of this excellent and chillingly brilliant short story is the way that traditions and rituals can control us and how blind adherence to them can cause us to commit horrendous atrocities. If you read through the story again carefully, this theme is best presented through the character of Old Man Warner, who acts in the story as the bastion of tradition and blind adherence to what has always been done, and suspicion of any form of change. One of the most telling remarks he makes is in response to Mr. Adams, who says that there are some villages who are talking about giving up the practice of the lottery that still has such importance to their village:

Old Man Warner snorted. "Pack of crazy fools," he said. "Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work anymore, live that way for a while. Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery," he added petulantly.

Thus speaks the voice of tradition, who equates any form of modernisation or change with a step backwards to the dark ages when men lived in caves. His "petulant" voice at the end perhaps suggests how ridiculous this approach is, and yet it is enough to ensure that the village keeps practising the tradition of the lottery and thus they commit a barbaric crime that all are involved in for the sake of tradition. Thus Jackson turns the story on us, asking us to think long and hard about why we do what we do, and if we have a similar slavish adherence to something that has actually dulled our moral values and causes us to commit a crime against humanity.

What's a good thesis for an argumentative essay on "The Lottery's" customs?

Jackson's "The Lottery" rose to prominence in the 1960s, when, in fact, there was a lottery to determine the order in which young men were drafted. If you were a male born in a certain year and your birthday was the first number picked in the lottery, you were certain to be drafted; if, however, your birthday happened to be 300th date picked, it was unlikely you would be drafted that year.

So a thesis statement could argue that although the events in Jackson's story seem far-fetched, they are not, as we do similarly arbitrary things in our culture. 

You could also argue that it is realistic to portray people like Tessie Hutchinson, who are all for unfair systems—or at least never question them—until the weight of the injustice falls on their own shoulders. Long prison terms or huge college or medical loans can seem acceptable until you yourself confront them. Both of these topics move outside of a close reading of the text itself and tie it to larger social themes. This is appropriate, as the story questions conformity, tradition and how societies function. 

What's a good thesis for an argumentative essay on "The Lottery's" customs?

Whatever your thesis is it needs to be something that can be argued. We can't really argue that mindless following of ritual can be harmful--that's a common sense issue. What could be argued is something like "The mindless following of ritual in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" is shocking, yes, but no more so than the mindless rituals observed by modern society," or "The use of a scapegoat in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" is appalling, but this is still a trend followed in our more modern society."

What's a good thesis for an argumentative essay on "The Lottery's" customs?

Another option would be:  "In Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery,' the tradition of the lottery and its customs are important to the older generation in the town, including Old Man Warner, Mr. Summers, and Mr. Graves."

What's a good thesis for an argumentative essay on "The Lottery's" customs?

Your thesis statement would depend upon and shape your focus; the two work together. You could write a good essay on the how custom/tradition shapes social reality in "The Lottery." If so, a solid thesis statement would be "Traditions shape the social reality in 'The Lottery' even after the community forgets the roots of those traditions."

You could also write a good essay on how custom and tradition normalize (make acceptable) the hideous or unthinkable. In fact, that would be a fine thesis statement: "In Jackson's 'The Lottery,' custom and tradition normalize unspeakable acts." You'd then look at the cheerful mood of the town, etc.

What's a good thesis for an argumentative essay on "The Lottery's" customs?

I would start by identifying certain themes/topics in the story that would be fruitful to write about--the tradition of violence in societies, the function of customs, etc. There is a helpful list at Lottery Themes. Then, I would formulate a thesis that argues how Shirley Jackson communicates one of these themes within her story. What literary devices does she use? Are there any important symbols? What about characterization, or the use of shock? Your thesis would claim something about Jackson's authorial intention and how these intentions are carried out. Good luck!

What's a good thesis for an argumentative essay on "The Lottery's" customs?

A good thesis statement must always make a claim of some kind: a statement with which another person could argue but for which you will provide evidence in order to support. A strong thesis might also include a "road map," or brief references to the ways in which you will argue to support the claim in the rest of the essay. It should also contain the author's name and the title of the text.

Therefore, taking the other Educator's ideas as a jumping off point, you could state, "People often hold on to traditions, even when those traditions have lost their value or meaning or have been revealed as a pretense for cruelty, as we see when ___________, ________, and _____________."

From here, you would need to locate three moments in the story which reveal this to be true and briefly describe those moments in the blanks in the template above. One might be when Old Man Warner resists the idea of doing away with the lottery even though he can provide no good evidence to support the idea that it should be retained. Another could be when the narrator describes the black box used for the lottery and claims that "no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box."

What's a good thesis for an argumentative essay on "The Lottery's" customs?

Much of this is going to be dependent on what has been taken away from the short story as the most meaningful elements.  On one hand, I think that an interesting take on customs or traditions can be how they can operate as pretenses for abuse.  The village tradition or ritual is a veil for abuse and cruelty.  Jackson's short story resonates when contrasted with other traditions that are not questioned nor repudiated after analysis and reflection.  Consider the reaction of Old Man Warner when confronted with the idea of removing the lottery:

During the time it takes to complete the drawing, Mr. Adams notes that some towns have started to talk about doing away with the lottery. Old Man Warner, participating in his seventy-seventh lottery, snorts at the idea and says that would only cause trouble.

I think an interesting exploration would be of how tradition sometimes becomes accepted without question or thought.  In this process, tradition can become a pretense for abuse perpetrated at the hands of one person or a group of people over a silenced voice.

What is a good thesis statement for a deep analysis of "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson?

In her short story "The Lottery," Shirley Jackson plays on the fact that people are sometimes so far removed from their own ancient customs that they are shocked by their violence. In fact, she is not mistaken; people were so shocked at her story that it was banned in a number of places and was seen as a “horror” story by many. Yet, nothing is as simple as all of that because, in the story, the author is simply using a practice that has been around for centuries. Additionally, the story is set in a seemingly modernized society to illustrate the ways in which people behave. In "The Lottery," Jackson uses an ambiguous setting, timeless language, and ancient customs in order to evoke eternal truths about human nature.  

Choosing a scapegoat to sacrifice for the good of the people, be it a literal sacrifice or symbolic sacrifice, has always been the way of humanity. However, we rarely think about this phenomenon in our modern Western world. In the story, Jackson uses a brilliant method of getting our attention to force us to come face to face with the horror and unavoidable truth of human sacrifice: she takes what we all believe to be an ancient, long-dead practice (stoning) and sets it in an ambiguous modern town. It could be a town that any one of us lives in.  

For example, in the opening paragraph of the story, Jackson writes, “The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock. . . in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours.” She makes the whole thing seem so normal; it could be any village, from any time period. This is done so that people become aware that, no matter what, they are still capable of committing the same age-old atrocities, regardless of the setting.

Another tactic that the author uses to evoke certain truths about humanity is to use language that gives a sense of the past, with which we are all familiar. This gives the reader a sense of comfort, of familiarity, and of safety.  Everyone seems jovial, cheerful, and happy, or they are simply experiencing normal, everyday emotions. For instance, people refer to one another as “folks.” The way that Jackson writes about the lottery, makes it seem like the village is getting ready for a summer picnic.  She says things like “There was a great deal of fussing to be done before Mr. Summers declared the lottery open,” once more luring the reader into a false sense of security.

Finally, she drops the bomb on us.  The “lottery” is not a game in which someone from the village wins a coveted prize, but rather an annual custom in which someone’s life is literally sacrificed. She ulitizes the ancient practice of stoning, something that is still around today in some parts of the world. There are rules to make it fair, of course, and age is considered.  There are rituals, and there is the usual mundane chitchat going on before, during, and after.  In fact, Jackson writes that “The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions: most of them were quiet.”

The reader is not shocked because they were not aware this type of thing went on, they are shocked because of the possibility that we are still capable of such a thing.  In short, they are shocked because Jackson makes it seem like a real possibility.  It shows us just how little importance we have placed and continue to place on human life. It is more than just a sad story; it is a reality for many people, even in our modern world.

What is a good thesis statement involving symbolism in "The Lottery"?

Each of the examples listed has a different symbolism in the story; for example, Old Man Warner represents the continuing success of the town as the ritual is performed, while Tessie represents the newer thinking about the cruelty and needless nature of the ritual in modern times.

One good thesis statement could focus on how each symbol affects the context of the story as it progresses; the black box is innocent as it is introduced, and only gains its true purpose when the full ritual is revealed. You could write: "Each symbol gains a second meaning at the story's end." To expand on this, you could explain the first meaning of the symbols, and then the second meaning gained by the full reveal.

Another good thesis could focus on the relationship of the symbols to each other; the stones are meaningless until the end, but are comparable to the box with its slips of paper. You could write: "The symbolic meaning of each object is magnified when analyzed together." A discussion of the purpose and relevance of the symbols could then lead to an examination of how they work together to form one larger symbol.

Good luck!

What's a suitable thesis statement for the point of view in "The Lottery"?

The narrative point of view in Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Lottery," is third-person. This point of view is appropriate given the nature of the story. The nature of the story is relatively horrific, especially for modern audiences (given the thought of human sacrifice is not an accepted practice). That said, the use of third-person allows the narrator to remain removed and impartial to the story.

Here are some examples of different thesis statements which define Jackson's choice as appropriate in regards to her choice to use a third-person narrative voice.

1. Shirley Jackson's choice to use a third-person narrator in her short story "The Lottery," allows readers to define the nature of the tale on their own, without prejudice.

2. The third-person narrative voice, in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," forces readers to examine the tale within its historical context.

3. The use of the third-person narrator in "The Lottery" shows readers the importance of impartial narrative voices when it comes to stories depicting barbaric acts.

What would be a great thesis to tie together setting and point of view for "The Lottery"?

That is a good thesis, but it would be best to explain how the perspective allows the tone and atmosphere of the story to appear one way and then to, suddenly, change into something more Gothic and horrific at the end. It is the combination of perspective and atmosphere what provides that traditional idyllic setting. That same combination will, as you say, render the horror that is found later.

The third person omniscient is a point of view that can be used broadly enough to effectively convey the actions and emotions of every important character in the story. Notice how in "The Lottery" the narrator does not directly tell the story of Tessie from the beginning until the end of her last day of life.

Rather than emphasizing on one storyline and one person, the narrator  flashes from one character to another pointing out how each of them prepares for the lottery. The omniscient perspective also helps to define the role of each of the townsfolk in the process of the lottery, giving equal importance to the parts that each of them play in this dreadful practice. 

The point of view also allows for the narrative to go back and forth in time. Notice how the narrator tells about the history of the lottery, how it has changed over the years, and its prospects for the future. 

All this being said, it is a good thesis to add that it additionally helps set a tone of neutrality and unsuspecting normalcy to what will latter on turn out to be a tale about murder, injustice, and barbaric practices.