IndexIntroductionSymbolismImageryForeshadowingConclusionIntroductionThe short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson discusses several issues that affect people in modern society. The story examines a small village of around three hundred people who gather in a town to participate in a lottery exercise: they are sacrificed to bring good to the community. Residents of some cities have already abandoned this democratic process, but in this village it is done every year. The winner, Mrs. Hutchinson, felt she didn't deserve to win. As a result, she protests. Mrs. Hutchinson ends up being stoned by her own son, little Davy Hutchinson, while protesting that the exercise was not conducted fairly. The tale is a shocking and powerful message about the cruelty that can occur due to mob mentality and blindly following tradition. The use of literary devices in “The Lottery” gives a clue as to how cruelty can occur anywhere, regardless of context. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssaySymbolismSymbolism is defined as “the use of symbols to indicate ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings other than their literal sense” (Langer 9). The author uses symbolism in various instances. The lottery itself is an example of symbolism. The lottery represents ideas of various people in their society with different opinions. For the townspeople, the lottery represents the guarantee of a good harvest, the general well-being of the community, or a tradition of general enjoyment for the youth. Residents are involved in preliminary talks before the democratic process begins. The men talk about reins and tractors, the women gossip, while the children are busy collecting rocks. This shows how residents have divergent interests. The stones collected by the children symbolize something wrong that is likely to happen, as we see Mrs. Hutchinson stoned by the people at the end of the lottery exercise. in a way that appeals to our physical senses” (Richardson 21). An image is constructed in mind when the author describes the black box that was supposed to contain the ballots. The black box was said to be faded on the sides and the wood beneath the black area was easily visible. These images portrayed through the box give the impression that it has played a similar role for several years. We are told about the climate on voting day. It was a bright, sunny day and the land was covered with green grass. This is an example of imagery that presents the idea of ​​a pleasant context. Given the community's pre-draw environment, it was ironic that Ms. Hutchinson refused to accept that she was a winner. Cosmic irony also occurs when the event, which is believed (by the reader) to have a positive outcome, ends up having a negative outcome. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Hutchinson is stoned in the head by her son Davey Hutchinson, someone who you believe would be the most likely to try to help her. The imagery of this scenario is powerful and may seem somewhat plausible given the power of the context. Foreshadowing Foreshadowing gives hints about what events will take place in the future of the story. In the case of “The Lottery,” all the foreshadowing and simple connotation of a lottery leads you to believe that the fate of the lottery will be something pleasant – on your first reading. After Mrs. Hutchinson's resistance, or with a second reading of the story, the foreshadowing begins to paint a sinister picture of the community's attitude toward the tradition that.