The Possibility Of Evil, And The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson

In short stories the author composes a compelling plot, with an ending that in someway either teaches the main character a lesson, or the reader themselves. Jackson acts as a master of literary devices, as she navigates the reader through intense scenes that evoke an emotional response to the experiences of the main character. In the short stories, â€Å"The Possibility of Evil† and â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, she used the same three literary devices to grasp the reader’s attention from beginning to end. In â€Å"The Possibility of Evil† Miss Adela Strangeworth caused a stir by sending anonymous letters to townspeople, filled with things she suspected other people in her town of doing; she claimed that every letter was sent with the intent of†¦show more content†¦This is ironic because while Miss Strangeworth wakes up and believes it’s just another ordinary day, the reader knows that something big is going to happen. Therefore, t he stories differ because the type of irony used at the ends evoke different feelings and emotions from the reader. For example, the situational irony would cause immediate shock, while the dramatic irony would cause feelings of eagerness, while waiting for the story to play out. Foreshadowing plays a key role in both of Jackson’s short stories. In â€Å"The Lottery† the children played together in the courtyard, but in a manner that could raise suspicion to a vigilant reader; â€Å"...made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square,† (Jackson 1). This is an example of foreshadowing because not only is this an odd â€Å"game† for children, they also stack them into a pile in a specific place within the square. In a manner of speaking, Jackson displays a perfect example of foreshadowing by alluding to the rocks at the beginning of the story, and then revealing their use at the end. Then in â€Å"The Possibility of Evil† the epigraph lets the reader know that Miss Strangeworth doesnt lead as normal of a life as theyd assume; â€Å"Little do the townsfolk suspect, though, that the dignified old woman leads another, secret life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Jackson 1). This is an example of foreshadowing, because Jackson reveals right Show MoreRelatedThe Lottery And The Possibility Of Evil By Shirley Jackson1107 Words   |  5 Pagesunique and unexpected twist to a seemingly ordinary story. Shirley Jackson, the author of short stories â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"The Possibility of Evil†, uses both imagery and diction to establish a calm mood in the beginning of her stories; however, the usage of different types of irony at later points in the story makes both endings unique. The author uses diction in the beginning of both â€Å"The Lottery† as well as ‘The Possibility of Evil† to establish a normal and somewhat peaceful mood. ResidentsRead MoreExamples Of The Possibility Of Evil In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson818 Words   |  4 Pagesnot everything is as if it seems. In Shirley Jackson’s short stories, ‘The Possibility of Evil† and â€Å"The Lottery†, Jackson uses specific literary devices in each story. In each short story, everything seems to be normal and typical until the hidden secrets are revealed. Jackson’s uses irony, mood and theme for a better understanding of the two short stories. First Jackson presents use with irony in both short stories but with different meanings. In â€Å"The Lottery† Tessie, daughter of Bill HutchinsonRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson Analysis784 Words   |  4 Pagesoutcomes. Throughout her short stories, â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"The Possibility of Evil†, Shirley Jackson shocks readers with her unthinkable plot twists. During both stories, they begin very peaceful and calm but as you near the end, your view of both readings completely change. Throughout â€Å"The Lottery† if you win the lottery that year you will be sacrificed, which no one would believe would happen as the title has a positive connotation; also, â€Å"The Possibility of Evil† starts out with a nice older woman enjoyingRead More Shirley Jacksons The Lottery 946 Words   |  4 PagesShirley Jackson is said to be one of the most â€Å"brilliant and influential authors of the twentieth century.† â€Å"Her fiction writ ing is some of the most important to come out of the American literary canon.† (http://shirleyjackson.org/Reviews.html) Jackson wrote many short stories and even some books. They are more on the dark, witchlike side, however. Kelleher explains that Jackson stated in some interviews that she practiced magic. No one really knows if she was serious while practicing witchcraftRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson934 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson signifies the physical connection between the villagers and their unwillingness to give up their tradition. â€Å"The Lottery† is very unpredictable and quite misleading. The black box has no functionality, except every June 27th. Shirley Jackson depicts the black box as an important and traditional tool. Although the villagers in â€Å"The Lottery† are terrified of the goal of the lottery and the black box, they are unwilling to let go of the tradition. Shirley Jackson portraysRead MoreWinning the Lottery Equals Death in Shirley Jackson, The Lottery786 Words   |  4 PagesTo win a lottery should be an exciting and joyful thing, but in â€Å"The Lottery† created by Shirley Jackson, winning the lottery in the story would be the most unfortunate thing for everyone as it equals to death. â€Å"The Lottery† is a tradition to pick a scapegoat, it has been carried out in the village for a very long time and it is a part of life for everyone. No one wants to question the tradition as they believe that it would help them to having a great harvest. A Third person narrator tells theRead MoreTradition Stays Put in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson1053 Words   |  4 PagesTradition Stays Put Easily regarded as one of America’s most beloved short stories, â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, leaves readers with excitement and perhaps a small sense of doubt. Doubt could be an aspect of the reader’s mind due to the gory fact of the cultural tradition in the small farming town of the story. Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† displays the theme of unwavering ritualistic tradition and symbolism. This means the village is unable to move past their tradition while symbolismRead More The Lottery Essay811 Words   |  4 Pagesword lottery, you probably think of winning a large sum of money before being stoned to death. quot; The Lotteryquot; by Shirley Jackson brings this horrible idea to life. While the overall mood of the story depicts a typical day in a small rural town, through great use of imagery and irony, one is set up for an unusual ending. Shirley Jackson uses the element of surprise. The way of the story ends is unlike anyone could predict. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The main object of The Lottery is theRead MoreCritical Criticism Of The Lottery1448 Words   |  6 PagesSherley’s Jackson short story, â€Å"The Lottery† tells the story of villagers that hold a terrible lottery tradition every year. Even though the story begins with the audiences with a bad close to the community by competing in a crisis tradition on a very important day, and at the end with a death of the â€Å"winner† by stoning the person that leads to s discussions between the people, and continued to be revise in modern days (Jackson). The â€Å"theory that based on the critical perspective of the story onRead MoreSymbolism Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson1577 Words   |  7 PagesShirley Jackson s The Lottery , is a story that is filled with symbolism. The author uses symbolism to help her represent human nature as tainted, no matter how pure one thinks of himself or herself, or how pure their environment may seem to be. The story is very effective in raising many questions about the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. The Lottery clearly expresses Jackson s feelings concerning mankind?s evil nature hiding behind traditions and rituals