Structure of The Lottery
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Structure of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery
The structure of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery was primarily based upon symbolism. Symbolism is evident in the use of the black box, the characters of the short story and the comparison between the characters and society. The symbolism of the Lottery helped define the structure of the short story.
The structure of The Lottery is highly dependent on symbolism. The infamous black box exhibits numerous symbolic meanings throughout the story. The color of the box itself is black, a strong representation of death. The box brings death to the towns, for an individual is always stoned to death. The color also symbolizes the randomness of the chance of death, for no colors can shine through a shade of black, just like the identity of the individual is not foreseen. The box is also depicted growing "shabbier each year." The aged ware of the box is a significant representation of the tradition that is practiced by the towns in the short story...