The Lottery Argumentative Essay


In Shirley Jackson's unsettling narrative, "The Lottery," the reader is transported to a seemingly idyllic village where an annual event, the lottery, is held with much anticipation and festivity. At first glance, the lottery appears to embody the community spirit and tradition, much like the cheerful gatherings in small towns. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that beneath this veneer of normalcy lies a disturbing ritual. This essay delves into the allegorical nature of the lottery, examining how […]


Shirley Jackson: Master of Horror and Foreshadowing Shirley Jackson is a renowned American author known for her horror and Gothic novels and short stories. Her portfolio includes three unique novels - The Lottery, The Possibility of Evil, and The Haunting of Hill House. She masterfully creates her narratives using various writing techniques, including foreshadowing, symbolism, and personification. Dreadful Anticipation: Foreshadowing in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Shirley's stories abound with foreshadowing, particularly in "The Lottery". In this short story, every […]

The Lottery is a short story by Shirley Jackson, published in 1948, that explores the theme of ritualistic violence and the human capacity for evil within a community setting. Essays on “The Lottery” might delve into the symbolic elements, social commentary, and psychological undertones present in the narrative. They may also examine the public reaction to the story, its historical or literary significance, and its exploration of mob mentality and blind adherence to tradition. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about The Lottery you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Shirley Jacksons The Lottery Essay Questions, Prompts, & Topics

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I'm not sure what the articles are supposed to be about, but I would suggestthat you focus on the main difference between the two stories. In "TheLottery" no one really objects except those about to die and their loved ones. Does anyone walk away from the village?

Both of these stories are based on a tradition that demands that someone ishurt or die for the good of the community. In "The Lottery," much likethe current "Hunger Games" stories, someone has to be sacrificed in order forthe world to continue as it is. The question becomes what happens if thisdoes not happen. Who has established the rule? Does the communityoverride the good of the individual? Why do people stay where this kindof practice goes on? Just because something has been a tradtion, does notnecessitate the existence of the tradition.

In neither story does anyone explicitly condemn the offending behavior. InOmelas, it is true that some people leave (seemingly) in protest, but no oneever stays and tries to change the system, and no one seems to object to theawful tradition except the victims in the community depicted in "The Lottery."Why is this? What makes us afraid to speak out against injustice or unjusttraditions when we see them? Why is it so hard?


Argumentative Essay: Should The Lottery Be Banned

A good approach to writing an argumentative about "The Lottery" and"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" is to take a position on whether thestories are dystopian or utopian in their outlook. There is plenty ofevidence to support either stance, and your argument would be one ofperspective. Finding scholarly essays to cite with the search criteria"utopian/dystopian" and the story titles would yield plenty of literarycriticism to use in your essay.

Argumentative Essay On The Lottery

Shirley Jackson is the author of the short story called “The Lottery.” When reading this story, the reader could possibly believe that they are able to foresee the ending. “The Lottery” takes place in a small town, with a population of about three hundred people, on June 27 at ten in the morning. Jackson provides the reader with visuals that range from the town gathering and getting ready for the lottery to the town kids playing outside and collecting rocks. The importance of this lottery is that is not what it comes off to be, instead it is an act of sacrifice that is believed to be important in order to keep society stable.…

The Lottery Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

“The Lottery” is a short story written by Shirley Jackson in the month of June in 1948. The story is about an annual tradition, called the lottery, held in an anonymous small village. All of the villagers gather for the annual event and Mr. Summers conducts a quick roll call. Each one of the residents of the village draws a piece of paper from the black box. As this happens, the villagers start to talk with one another how some nearby villages have stopped following the tradition of the lottery.…

Rhetorical Analysis Essay On The Lottery

Both "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" and "The Lottery" must beconsidered dystopian fiction because in each, a community engages in anabhorrent ritualistic tradition that is believed necessary for the collectivegood.

Argumentative Essay On The Lottery

Events of the story show that Jackson condemns humankind’s hypocrisy and evil nature. “They greeted each other and exchanged bits of gossip … handling each other without a flinch of sympathy …” is written in the story (Shirley 281). The reader expects the lottery to be advantageous in some way to the villagers. Nothing of value is achieved, though, in the form of such practice.