Biblical Allusions in Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery

Throughout many works of literature, authors have used allusions for the reader to be able to make multiple connects between many different important works of art. In all types of literature, whether it is a poem, novel, or part of a casual/scintillating conversation, allusions are between the lines of most readings, connecting dots immediately due to their hidden, yet obvious meanings. Once one takes a closer look, the reader can observe that Jackson uses biblical allusions in her short story to create many references to different stories and facts in the Bible: such as sin, Jesus saving Mary, Jesus dying on the cross, and more. Making each statement count in her short story to touch the reader, she uses variety approaches of literary†¦show more content†¦Although the title The Lottery plays with the choice of words for the ritual to sound like a game, the grand prize it to pay for the towns sins, such a Jesus did for the whole world. Leading up to that, by no mistake, did Mrs. Hutchinson say the she thought her husband was out in the back chopping wood. Jackson chooses her words carefully to refer to how Jesus dies on the cross, and her husband was chopping the wood when he pulled the first black dot proceeding to Mrs. Hutchinson picking the final slip of paper that contained the black dot. Even the choice of names brings biblical mentions. Unlike many characters in The Lottery, we find out a lot about Mr. Summers, the bright side the God offers within the Bible. Hes married to a scold and has no children, so the villagers feel sorry for him – even though he runs a coal business and [has] time and energy to devote to civic activities like the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program, and of course, the lottery (Jackson). This statement give quite a bit of information to the reader about the priorities of the villagers: they appear to place more emphasis on a traditional family life than on the kind of worldly success that Mr. Summers has achieved. Mr. Summers cares majority about the surface that shows and not content that fulfills within. Behind the scenes of his reforming, the call for a new box and paper instead of wood, there isShow MoreRelatedANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 PagesLegend of Sleepy Hollow, resembles hi s long-legged namesake. Names can also contain literary or historical allusions that aid in characterization by means of association. The name ‘Ethan Brand’, referring to the wandering lime burner who gives his name to Hawthorne’s short story, contains an allusion to the mark or brand of Cain a legacy of guilt that the outcast Brand shares with his Biblical counterpart. One must also, however, be alert to names used ironically which characterize through inversion