Without Scrutiny In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

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Without Scrutiny Shirley Jackson’s intention in writing “The Lottery” is, in her own words, “to shock the story’s readers with a graphic demonstration of the pointless violence and general inhumanity in their own lives” (263). It is painfully clear that this small village of approximately three hundred convey the lack of respect for oneself, family and friends. Because the town is so small, the community is closely connected. Tragically, on June 27th, their history together is meaningless. In “The Lottery,” Jackson is suggesting that people conform to the demands of society without scrutiny.
Jackson captures the nonchalant behavior of Tessie Hutchinson and the majority of the community. Mrs. Hutchinson is washing dishes prior to the ceremony, which caused her to turn up late. Eagerly she arrived. Upon doing so, Tessie declares, “clean forgot what day it was,”…”and then
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Inside, there is a slip of paper to represent each family. Unlike the others, only one is marked with a “heavy pencil” dot that will taper one family’s luck. Unintentionally, its representation of conformity, which began all those years ago, is utilized annually to determine the destiny of one individual. The townspeople do not view the black box as a weapon. It’s merely a ritual.
In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson opens the eyes of the reader, who at this point is in complete awe, to take an inventory of their actions and their willingness to conform to the demands of society without scrutiny. Powerfully, her intentions were a success. Because of the acts that were viscously performed, we must at some point in our own lives, portray how we should be perceived as a unique individual and not be in agreement with the demands of society. Therefore, we should examine ourselves personally in order to stand alone in our

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