Lottery Discussion Answers Essay Example for Free

Lottery Discussion Answers Essay Shirley Jackson, The Lottery – Discussion and Analysis Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences on your own paper. Provide quotations (with page/line numbers) from the story to support your answers. 1. Why has Jackson chosen common people for her characters? Could she have chosen characters from other levels of sophistication with the same effect? What is the irony of the tone of this story? 2. What seems to have been the original purpose of the lottery? What do people believe about it? 3. Is it important that the original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost? What do you suppose the original ceremony was like? Why have some of the villages given up this practice? Why hasnt this one? 4. What is the significance of Tessies final scream, It isnt fair, it isnt right? What aspect of the lottery does she explicitly challenge; what aspect goes unquestioned? 5. This is a different sort of story when you read it for the second time. What elements (such as Mrs. Hutchinsons attempt to have her daughter, Eva, draw with the family) might take on a different meaning the second time through? 6. Some critics insist that the story has an added symbolic meaning. Do you agree? If so, what is Shirley Jackson trying to tell us about ourselves? (Hint: Consider that this story was written during the height of the rise of Communism and the Soviet Union.) 7. Is the lottery a collective act of murder? Is it morally justified? Is tradition sufficient justification for such actions? How would you respond to cultures that are different from ours that perform strange rituals? 8. Describe the point of view of the story. How does the point of view affect what we know about the situation? How does it preserve the storys suspense? Answers to Discussion Questions 1. Why has Jackson chosen common people for her characters? Could she have chosen characters from other levels of sophistication with the same effect? What is the irony of the tone of this story? By choosing common people, Jackson is attempting to have the general reader relate to the grotesque situation at hand. The dangers of blind allegiance to tradition become more â€Å"close to home† when an average, small-town American population is the center of the action. It becomes more general and all-applicable. (Lines 1-17) 2. What seems to have been the original purpose of the lottery? What do people believe about it? The original purpose of the lottery seems to have been some twisted sort of rain dance ritual. As Old Man Warner explains, the old saying used to exclaim, â€Å"Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon† (line 122). It takes on an air of Aztec/ritualistic sacrifice, that by performing the blood ritual and sacrificing one, the needs of the majority will be met. If the ritual is not followed, society will collapse – or so the townsfolk believe. 3. Is it important that the original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost? What do you suppose the original ceremony was like? Why have some of the villages given up this practice? Why hasnt this one? The loss of the original ceremonial paraphernalia is significant, as it suggests that the original meaning and reasons for the lottery have been lost to time. It is a ritual with no true purpose, other than that of blind allegiance to tradition. Some villages presumably have matured beyond this ritual, but this one has not. 4. What is the significance of Tessies final scream, It isnt fair, it isnt right? What aspect of the lottery does she explicitly challenge; what aspect goes unquestioned? There are two ways to approach this question. 1) From an in-character perspective, Tessie is objecting to the fact that she is the subject of the sacrifice, having been the â€Å"winner† of the lottery. She doesn’t want to die, and is protesting merely the fact that she has to die, not that people die in general. 2) From an authorial / reader response perspective, Jackson challenges the reader to question the idea of conformity and blind allegiance to tradition. If we don’t know why we observe a specific tradition, perhaps we should question its usefulness. Besides, it’s good to question and analyze. 5. This is a different sort of story when you read it for the second time. What elements (such as Mrs. Hutchinsons attempt to have her daughter, Eva, draw with the family) might take on a different meaning the second time through? Tessie’s attempt to have her daughter draw with the family is a half-baked (and somewhat heartless) attempt to have a larger pool of â€Å"winners† (victims) to draw from. While reading, it sort of sounds like she wants an extra chance to win some money or something of that nature. In reality, she is trying to provide more of a buffer between herself and being murdered. 6. Some critics insist that the story has an added symbolic meaning. Do you agree? If so, what is Shirley Jackson trying to tell us about ourselves? (Hint: Consider that this story was written during the height of the rise of Communism and the Soviet Union.) She is providing a symbol of societies such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, where great atrocities are committed under the indifferent watch of tradition-oriented conformists. She is trying to tell us that we should be  guided by our moral compass, not merely by the expectations of society. If something is unjust or wrong, we should stand up against it. 7. Is the lottery a collective act of murder? Is it morally justified? Is tradition sufficient justification for such actions? How would you respond to cultures that are different from ours that perform strange rituals? Effectively, the lottery is by definition a collective act of murder, regardless of the reason it is held. Its existence does, however, beg the question of whether tradition (and, by extension, moral relativism) supersedes any sort of universal morality. Is killing wrong no matter what, or does its intended purpose – prosperity for the many at the expense of the few – justified? Regardless of the answer, Jackson’s message is that doing anything simply because it’s â€Å"what always has been done† is not an acceptable approach to life. We should question and analyze our traditions, and understand why we continue to observe them. 8. Describe the point of view of the story. How does the point of view affect what we know about the situation? How does it preserve the storys suspense?

The Psychological Effects of Gender Roles Essay -- Gender Roles Equali

The Psychological Effects of Gender Roles â€Å"Let the boys be boys.† You’ve heard this phrase before. Often repeated by parents regarding their little boys. So what makes a boy, a boy? Rambo like characteristics? Muscles? Short hair? Wearing blue? Wearing T-shirts and jeans or playing with sporting equipment? Well last I remember, the main characteristics boys shared were penises. The role gender association play in the lives of our children can sometimes affect them negatively. The messages that gender roles send, is that in order to be part of society, you must fit into the norm or the status quo or most importantly what society deems as acceptable. But all the while, trying to incorporate individuality and establishing ones sense of self. Two conflicting ideas that can confuse a child and also alter the way they live their lives. There are two colors that are designated to babies that serve one purpose and one purpose only. Most infant boys were the color blue and girls wear pink. Seeing that it is difficult to determine the sex of an infant without general exposure to the genitals, most parents choose to clothe they’re young child in the respective colors so people will know whether it is a boy or a girl. After all, what male infant wears pink? When the children grow older, do they still continue the practice the color identification game? This is wear it changes. When boys reach the age wear they start dressing themselves and start buying their own clothes, they will continue to wear the blues and the greens and even yellows and reds, but not pink or violet, cause those are â€Å"girly† colors. Girls on the other hand, when they reach the same age still continue to wear the pink and violets and can even wear the blues, yellows, blacks, and greens. So why can girls make the â€Å"cross-over† without being teased or mocked but boys cant without being called a gay or a fagot. The clothing issue goes farther than that. The fashion industry does make boundaries with clothing. There is women’s clothing and men’s clothing. Women can wear men’s clothing, and at times its the stylish thing to do. Young girls can dress like boys or wear boys clothing and at times will only be called a tom-boy, but that is acceptable to society. Let’s see a man in public wearing a dress, and we stop and go out of our way to break our necks just so we can get a good look.... ...d am able to observe what is going on and what can happen. I’m am in no way implying that making your infant son wear blue is bad and if he wears pink as he gets older, it your fault. I know that I probably wouldn’t be to happy about the fact that my little boy is wearing pink either, but its how you approach and deal with the situation the can have an effect on your child. Many parents would probably tell their children this type of situation, â€Å" Pink is for girls, take it off. What are you gay or something. Are you a sissy? Act like a boy.† (Finaut) It is brought upon so negatively and makes the child feel low and incompetent, especially if they are told this by their fathers. Not everyone will agree with my point of view and that is something I understand, but its all about being open-minded which is obviously not the message gender roles send. Works Cited Finaut, Jim. Personal Interview, 11, July 1999. Hales, Dianne. Invitation to Health: Power of Prevention, eighth edition. California: Brooks/Cole, 1990. Richards, Orland. Personal Interview, 13 July 1999. Tannen, Deborah. You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation. New York: Ballantine, 1990.

Related Text For Tom Brennan Essay Essay

By the Grace of God by Katy Perry is a song of heart break and determination , Katy herself is faced with the challenge of working though positive and negative experiences she has encountered through her divorce. These negative experiences that Katy faces are portrayed through a number of features some include the use of a depressing and Grey tones throughout the first two verses â€Å" thought i wasn’t enough â€Å" , â€Å" Couldn’t take it anymore†, â€Å" Running on empty so out of gas† This is one way Katy expresses her negative experience of heartache and pain, this also can refer to her depression. Another technique used to reveal her pain is the use of similes for example â€Å" locked up tight like iron mountain† Katy feels trapped and depressed and â€Å" when the truth was like swallowing sand† Katy feels as though she is better to just suffer than face the truth although Katy has faced all of these negative experiences she some how finds it in herself to make her own positive experiences in a similar way to Tom Brennan. For the rest of the song Katy is all about turning her negative experiences into positives. She is determined â€Å" to pick herself back up† and to fight through the pain and get back to her new/ normal life. This is when she leans to the spiritual/ religious side of things which is a strong theme throughout the rest of the song as it ends every chorus â€Å" By the Grace of God† These positive experiences of rebuilding and reflection are proclaimed through two main features the use of imagery and the repetition of lyrics. Types of imagery indicated in this song are religious imagery â€Å" By the grace of god ( There was no other way) this indicates to the audience that her faith was her last resort to help her turn her life. hopeful imagery â€Å" I picked myself back up â€Å" , â€Å" Decided to stay†, â€Å" I’m not giving up† This unveils to us that she is willing to leave the past behind and is ready to face the future. Imagery of Katy rebuilding her confidence is strong throughout the middle and end of this song this displays that her life is really heading in a positive direction and she is not going to let the negative things bring her down examples of this are â€Å" I could Finally see my self again† This is very similar the the quote In Tom Brennan â€Å"I could smile, ‘cause I could see that he was  coming back’.

The Doctrine Of Universal Reconciliation - 1651 Words

While the doctrine of universal reconciliation has indeed been a minority position throughout most of Christian history–albeit not quite two-thousand years!–all one has to do is turn to Augustine, a clear non-Universalist, to see how it was once upon a time a rather popular doctrine. He, in the fifth century, rather dismissively writes: It is quite in vain, then, that some–indeed very many–yield to merely human feelings and deplore the notion of the eternal punishment of the damned and their interminable and perpetual misery. They do not believe that such things will be. Not that they would go counter to divine Scripture—but, yielding to their own human feelings, they soften what seems harsh and give a milder emphasis to statements they†¦show more content†¦(Ibid.) A who’s who this impressive forces us to ask two questions. First, was it merely a yielding to human feelings that caused â€Å"indeed very many† to â€Å"deplore the notion of the eternal punishment of the damned,† as Augustine suggests, or was it something else? Given the scholarship of the above list, I’d have to conclude that Augustine was levying an unfair charge against his Universalist interlocutors by suggesting this. Certainly their collective credentials deserve more respect! And second, has Universalism really been considered heretical by the Christian Church for her entire two-thousand year history, as Driscoll so emphatically states? The simple truth is that no, Driscoll is not correct to suggest that Universalism has been heretical throughout the entirety of Christendom: far from it, in fact, as the theory of apokatastasis wasn’t declared heretical until the sixth century, first by Justinian (a despotic Byzantine emperor) and then at the Fifth Ecumenical Council of Constantinople. 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