Group 2 張顥耀 余安立 蕭文秋 吳怡萱 郭又瑋 THE LOTTERY Group 2 張顥耀 余安立 蕭文秋 吳怡萱 郭又瑋

Shirley Jackson Personal Profile Her Interest About Writing The Lottery

Historical Context Published in 1948 Critics "I hoped by setting a particularly brutal ancient rite in the present and in my own village, to shock the story's readers with a graphic dramatization of the pointless violence and general humanity in their own lives."

Plot Summary All the villagers start to gather in the square ↓ Mr. Summers begin to read off the list of names after he make sure everyone is here Every house hold draws a slip of paper and open it all at the same time

↓ Bill Hutchinson gets the paper with a spot on it Bill, Tessie, Bill Jr., Nancy, and Davy (The Hutchinson’s) all have to draw again Tessie got the marked paper Tessie get stoned by all the villagers

MAJOR THEME Society wrongfully picks up scapegoats to bear the sins of the community. The reluctance of people to reject outdated traditions, ideas, rules, laws, and practices. Following the crowd leads to disastrous consequences.

HORRORS This horrible events seems to be their daily routing. (After stoning a woman, the people will go home to eat lunch or go back to work as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened.) The villagers do not excuse children from the lottery, and children take part in the stoning, even Tessie’s little Davy was included.

HORRORS (continue) Mr. Hutchinson didn’t plead for his wife. (He was actually the one who pulled the marked slip of paper out of her hand.) Nancy Hutchinson and her brother Bill laughed when they found their paper blank, knowing one of their parents was going to be stoned.

SYMBOLS and NAMES The lottery →They supposed to draw for a prize. Mrs. Delacroix →Means ”of the cross” in French, and she actually “double-crosses” Tessie (double-cross: to betray)

Church a high emphasis on religion irony of the lottery mindlessly following tradition good religions should be cherished bad religions should be trashed

Reference to more issues Two themes about The Lottery: -confinement of traditions -designating of scapegoats

Confinement of traditions -people cling to an outdated tradition Examples: -Abolishment of Capital Punishment -Discrimination of Homosexuality

Abolishment of Capital Punishment -A long existed practice, but in recent years the appeal to abolish it emerged and grew stronger. -we’re used to having capital punishment, so we wouldn’t like to make any change on it. -the society is confined to the tradition of carrying out capital punishment.

Discrimination of Homosexuality Although the same-sex love is now gradually becoming acceptable to the society, there’s still one forth of students having ever been looking down. (HK news) In tradition, the society is supposed to be heterosexual, therefore it tends to have heterosexism.

Designating of scapegoats -the society wrongfully finds victims to bear undeserved punishment.

Designating of scapegoats Event of the little girl Chiu: -A significant example of how the society wrongfully designates scapegoats to bear undeserved punishment. -Eager to find out the criminal to bear the sins, and therefore they could get rid of scare and guilt. -In fact, none ought to bear the entire sins. -The whole society had its blame. -It was everyone in the society that caused this event to happen.

Conclusion and Reflection We may follow religions, superstitions, medical systems, policies, and anything the public do blindly Justice Conscience and sense can’t be overemphasized !!

SHORT VIDEO The Lottery http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN5V8cQ2DAk

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