The Lottery, Its Social Order and Male Superiority Issue

Throughout the story the role the men plays in society as providers further stresses the male dominance theme. Just as the lottery begins, the issue of productivity is mentioned when Mr. Summers says ¡§guess we better get started, get this over with, so¡¦s we can go back to work.¡¨ The importance of productivity is acknowledged again as Old Man Warner sternly criticizes those who decided to forgo the lottery, he s

Symbolic of the social hierarchy of ¡§The Lottery,¡¨ Jackson discusses the occupations of only three males in the story; three of the most wealthy and powerful, and these three males all play significant roles in the process of the lottery. Jackson first describes Mr. Summers, the conductor of the ceremony as one ¡§who had time and energy to devote to civic activities.¡¨ ¡§Time¡¨ and ¡§energy¡¨ comes only to those of us who doesn¡¦t have to worry so much about our financial status. Being the owner of a coal company, not only was he the wealthiest; he was also the most powerful. With his power depicted specifically through the winning lottery ticket. ¡§It had a black spot on it, the black spot Mr. Summers had made the night before with the heavy pencil in the coal-company office.¡¨ In a sense his action indirectly designated the winner of the lottery. Next we have Mr. Graves, the postmaster, the most powerful government official. ¡§The night before the lottery, Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves made up the slips of paper and put them in the box, and it was then taken to the safe of Mr. Summers¡¦s coal company and locked up¡K¡¨ Then comes Mr. Martin, who has the economical advantage of being the town grocer. Mr. Martin comes into play when as he is getting ready for the lottery Mr. Summers said, ¡§Some of you fellows want to give me a hand?¡¨ there was a hesitation before two men, Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, came forward to hold the box steady on stool while Mr. Summers stirred up the papers inside it.¡¨ The theme of social order is further emphasized when Jackson states when there was no lottery ¡§the box was put away, ¡Kit had spent one year in Mr. Graves¡¦s barn and another year underfoot in the post office, and sometimes it was set on a shelf in the Martin grocery and left there.¡¨ It is no coincidence that Mr. Mar

Some topics in this essay:
Shirley Jackson¡¦s, Tessie Hutchinson, Summers Graves, Lottery¡¨ Jackson, Watson Dunbar, Don Eva, Joe¡¨ Summers, , ¡§the lottery¡¨, tessie hutchinson, male head household, town¡¦s people, male head, male superiority, summers graves, lottery summers, black spot, head household, male heads,