Table of ContentsThe Lottery and Course ThemesThe Main Theme of the LotteryWorks CitedThe Lottery and Course ThemesThe Lottery, which is written by Shirley Jackson, was written in 1948. The story is very similar to The Hunger Games, which is a modern film that most people have seen. In this story, the author tells a village tradition located in New England. The tradition is not what most people would assume, rather it is quite nasty in nature. Every year, citizens gather to choose from pieces of paper the drawing that will be sacrificed to death. Over the years, some of the formalities of this lottery have changed, but many have remained the same. Including the idea that citizens don't know when or why this custom started. This story features both coming-of-age and disenchanted American dream themes. The American dream does not only extend to America, but is much more a thought or a desire. In The Lottery, children are interested in these coming-of-age topics, and disenchanted America dreams more than adults. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The children in this story are not exempt from the process or consequences of their selection. There is absolutely no maturity in this madness. In most cultures and traditions, age defines a lot of things, however, this villager does not even allow a child's innocence to not suffer such tragedies. At the beginning, Jackson explains how the children must choose the stones that will be thrown at the chosen ones. Children are also informed about the honors of these traditions in their countries. Although he does not specify when these stories are told, the audience can assume that, to some extent, the retelling of this tradition marks his coming of age. I claim this because once this horrible fate is revealed to them, they lose their previous thoughts that the world is a fair place. They learn the truth about what middle age brings, which in this case could very likely be death. The American dream is based on equal opportunity for a fair life and success. However, these mechanisms presented in this story are equal in nature. They fail to enable a successful life. Which then directly depicts a disenchanted dream. The choice of a name determines the fate of the young, the old, the married and the single, no one is safe from this irrational consequence. Coming of age and the disenchanted American dream are linked in this story, because once a child reaches that age of learning these traditions, they no longer benefit from the American dream of success and equality. These young people learn that even if they follow all the rules and regulations of the city, they can be chosen in the lottery and risk death. To some extent, I feel like citizens almost lose hope in situations like this. I mean, logically, why would anyone even want to grow old and start a family, knowing full well that all of that can be taken away from them. This is in no way a form of equality. Equality would only include those who caused serious harm or committed crimes in the city. Why should an innocent person be sentenced to death through no fault of their own, just bad luck. Once these children reach this unidentified age, they become adults. In most cultures this is a celebratory age, and parties and celebrations end, however, these New England children do not benefit fromsuch events. Life isn't fair, and neither are many of the rules we have to follow. But these rules are set in stone and we must learn to live by them. Although no actual reasoning is provided by the author for such horrific traditions, we can assume that a reason was given for these practices. This story shows how coming of age is not a fun and exciting part of life for everyone. However, most people are granted a disenchanted American dream. Because that dream is long dead, since equality and opportunity no longer exist consistently. The main theme of the lottery “Winning the lottery can turn out to be bad luck,” the famous James Cook once said. The famous Shirley Jackson certainly puts Cook's words into action in her short story, "The Lottery." Composed after World War II, it investigates thoughts such as communal violence, individual vulnerability, and the perils of indiscriminately following tradition. Set in an anecdotal New England town in the mid-20th century, the story begins as a simple story about a community's annual lottery. In the end, the story turns into a gruesome tale featuring the public stoning of the lottery winner. Told from an objective third-person point of view, the plot progresses primarily through dialogue but is also filled with tone and symbolism that enhance its theme. Shirley Jackson discovers in her short story the threats of aimlessly following traditions, as this can lead to serious harm. The city lottery comes full circle with a savage murder each year, an unusual custom that shows how perilous the tradition can be when individuals follow it aimlessly. Before we realize what kind of lottery they are running, the townspeople and their arrangements seem harmless, even curious: they have appointed a rather shameful man to run the lottery, and children run around collecting stones in the town square. Shirley even includes how children, men, and women engage in “normal” actions; “the men exchanged jokes”, the ladies “exchanged gossip on their way to join their husbands”. These phrases set the tone because they seem to demonstrate that nothing particularly disturbing will happen to indicate the traditional nature of this custom with a casual character. Jackson also communicates that the lottery will take place "on the morning of June 27", with a "clear, sunny day with the cool warmth of a summer day", misleading the reader into believing that it is 'a positive occasion by including a joyful event and a kind of lively tone. As the reader progresses, one can discover that the lottery appears as a kind of town festival or celebration. The tradition is endemic to communities, it is a method of connecting families and ages. Jackson, in any case, makes overtures in the respect that people have for tradition. She writes that the villagers generally don't think much about the cause of the lottery, but nevertheless try to protect the tradition. Symbolically, in “The Lottery”, the lottery box is a major attribute to characterize the theme. The box is a symbol for the city's residents since it is one of the main associations to the cause of the lottery. “The original lottery paraphernalia had been lost long ago”; it was used for a period of time that everyone can remember, but it's not the first box. Instead, they accept that some of the "pieces from the original lottery box" may have been used to make "the new box", but this is not, 31(1), 124-134.