One of the most important evidence of symbolism throughout the essay is the symbolic black box. ... Meanwhile, the further illustration of how the villagers stored the black box also points to the symbolic meaning of the black box. ... The black box was appeared to be very "shabby" and "grew shabbier each year (79)". The physical appearance of the box suggests that it was not only the black box that needed to be replaced but the tradition of the lottery. ... Of course she drew that black dot out of the black "box." ...

• Word Count: 1301
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

The head of each household is called up to draw a random slip of paper out of an old black box. Once each head has been called and someone draws a black dot on their paper, their entire family redraws. ... The narrator goes on to explain that "although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones" (Jackson 630). In essence, the rules to the lottery, with the exception of the black box and the stoning, are new. ... Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much trad...

• Word Count: 1719
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The whole tradition of the drawing slips of paper from a black wooden box has its roots in ancient history and people already forgot the original reason of it. ... The slip of paper with a black point finally ends in the hands of Tessie Hutchinson. ... Apart from that, he also begins talking about a new wooden box because the old one grew shabbier each year. But in this case he is not successful because of disagreement of those people who believe that the present box had been made with some pieces of the original box which had been constructed by people who established their village. ......

• Word Count: 2043
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

To further bolster this hypothesis, one can take a gander at the town's eagerness at the idea of making a new black box: "Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one like to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the [old] black box" (Jackson 5). This puts forth an explanation to the way that the town does the lottery on the grounds that the lottery has existed, so they feel it must continue existing unaltered simply like their black box. ...

• Word Count: 2043
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography

The short story, "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is about small village that has a dark tradition. Men of each family must pick a slip of paper from a black box. These slips of paper will determine the fate of the lottery and also of a family. One message the author may be conveying to the reader i...

• Word Count: 1411
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School