Point of View in Shirley Jacksons The Lottery Essay

Point of View in The Lottery Shirley Jacksons The Lottery uses the third-person dramatic point of view to tell a story about an un-named village that celebrates a wicked, annual event. The narrator in the story gives many small details of the lottery taking place, but leaves the most crucial and chilling detail until the end: the winner of the lottery is stoned to death by the other villagers. The use of the third-person point of view, with just a few cases of third-person omniscient thrown in, is an effective way of telling this ironic tale, both because the narrators reporter-like blandness parallels the villagers apparent apathy to the lottery, and because it helps build to the surprise ending by giving away bits of†¦show more content†¦Summers and everyone else in the village knew the answer perfectly well .... This limited use of omniscience does not detract from the story, and is used sparingly and effectively to inform the reader of minor details that dont need to be belabored. It is the matter-of-fact tone and benign cadence of the narrator that sets the atmosphere for this story, and matches perfectly with the perfunctory attitude the villagers have toward the lottery. The narrator is going about his or her business -- explaining details, recording conversations, revealing the history of the lottery -- while the villagers are going on with the routine business of the lottery. This banality lulls the reader into a lowered sense of expectation, while the story slowly builds to the climax. Shirley Jacksons use of the third-person dramatic point of view, and the way her narrator sometimes uses minute details, such as the construction and history of the lottery box, allows her to introduce to the reader important hints to the ending without telegraphing it. For example, in only the second paragraph, the narrator observes, Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones.... These stones are to be used to kill a person by storys end, but the information is delivered so plainly and amidst other less meaningful details that it slips under the readers radar. Also, since the villagers thoughts arent revealed, the reader slowlyShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery954 Words   |  4 Pagesmessage. Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† displays a masterful usage of literary elements to better convey Jackson’s general purpose, such as through the deep symbolism and underlying theme; however, Jackson’s true provocation of e motion is accomplished through her quintessential use of point of view. The objective point of view is indispensable within â€Å"The Lottery† because of the creation of suspense, drama, and irony. 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In â€Å"The Lottery† written by, Shirley Jackson, the main character Mrs. Tessie Hutchinsonâ⠂¬â„¢s and the town folk are the main characters of this story. In â€Å"The Lottery† Shirley Jackson uses the use of characterization to portray the main ideas of the story. Shirley Jackson also uses the use of plot structure and the point of view in which the story is being told. The Lottery is a way toRead MoreThe Lottery Point of View Paper867 Words   |  4 PagesThe Lottery Point of View Shirley Jackson’s choice of point of view in â€Å"The Lottery† is that of being told in the third person. The story is told more by an observer’s point of view rather than that of a participant. In â€Å"The Lottery† she illustrates how what is being done to the family members, of people in the village, is an act of pointless bloodshed. 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Throughout the story, the third-person dramatic point of view contributes to the toneRead MoreEssay about The Lottery534 Words   |  3 Pages Shirley Jacksons, The Lottery, has raised questions in the back of every readers mind towards the destructive yet blind rituals of mankind. A reflection of ourselves is what we see when looking through the pond of Jacksons mind. The Lottery clearly expressed Jacksons feelings concerning traditional rituals through her story, opened the eyes of its readers to properly classify and question some of todays traditions as cruel, and allowed room to foretell the outcome of these unusual traditionsRead MoreAbstract the Lottery by Shirley Jackson2321 Words   |  10 Pages Abstract for â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson Although Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery† is widely read, it has received little critical review in the decades since it was published. This analysis of the text illuminates Jackson’s intertwining of the story’s theme, point of view and language. One finds that each of these three an integral part depends on the other. One must examine Jackson’s linguistic techniques in order to understand how the point of view is so effective in constructingRead MoreThe Lottery : Dissecting Sociological Horrors Essay1551 Words   |  7 Pages The Lottery: Dissecting Sociological Horrors When you hear the word â€Å"lottery†, what do you think? In Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, readers are presented with an ironic, dramatic, bleak tale about a small village gathering for not exactly what one would call a lottery. Born in San Francisco, California in 1916, Jackson spent much of her early life writing poetry and journal entries. After enrolling in the University of Rochester, she eventually withdrew to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer