Shirley Jackson "The Lottery"

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Kristy Mosley English 102 Instructor Guerin 21 February 2012 Obedience of Tradition in “The Lottery” “The Lottery” she expertly tells a story that is not only disturbing, but shocking and demonstrates In Shirley Jackson’s how coldness and the lack of compassion can be brought out in people, when in situations regarding obedience, in keeping with traditions. Shirley Jackson also exposes the many flaws of human nature in which a large role of obedience to superiors could cause considerable damage and sets the theme of the story to make the reader question many cultural traditions. The first character that surfaces and presents the role of obedience is Old Man Warner. Old Man Warner, being the oldest in the small town where the lottery takes place, has survived more lotteries than any other person in his village. As Warner puts it, "seventy-seventh year I been in the lottery.” (1217) Jackson uses Warner's own viewpoint on his continual luck to add drama to the large amount of time he has survived. One might say that Warner's luck is in connection with the fact that he has been the most obedient person and he is the only person who does not want to get rid of the lottery. Others, however, might say that it is a direct association that Warner is not being chosen in the lotteries because he is obeying tradition and he is being rewarded for doing so. When Mr. Adams tells Warner that "over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery,"(1217) Warner reprimands with, "pack of crazy fools, listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them."(1217) Old Man Warner is usually understood to be the most symbolically evil supporter of custom, but he is simply the most sincere. He is also the only villager who seems to be the most obedient and he strictly believes in the supposed original purpose of
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