Blog Post Report 1 - Zach Vance
It's easy to see why "The Lottery" was one of the most controversial and hated short stories in America (at the time it came out). The story portrays the inhabitants of an everyday American farming town engaging in a violent yearly ritual that one would like to believe no sane person would stand for. For late 40s Americans who were attached to strong moral principles and the idea of "the American Dream," this would have been understandably upsetting for them. But in their disgust towards this story, I imagine many readers missed a crucial element from it that exists in their own lives, albeit in a much less brutal form. I believe that "The Lottery" is an examination of our attitudes toward tradition, namely how tradition evolves over time (yet never completely changes), how traditions endure despite how bizarre or grotesque they might be, and how these bizarre traditions can be fully normalized in our society.
One of the first physical representations of tradition that we see is the black box, used to store the "lots" that are drawn during the titular lottery. The narrator specifies that this was not the original box used by the townsfolk. There may have been one or two before this, and that the current box is believed to have been constructed using wood from the previous box(es). Even though this is the "newest" iteration of the box, it is still extremely old. According to the narrator, "the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born." The narrator also says this of the box: "Every year, after the lottery, Mr. Summers began talking again about a new box, but every year the subject was allowed to fade off without anything's being done. The black box grew shabbier each year: by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained." There is no reason for a new box not to be made, but the villagers see the box itself as a now integral part of their tradition. Everyone currently living in this town knows this particular box, and building a new one (even one that incorporated elements or materials from the old box) would be something of a break in tradition.
Repeated throughout the story is the plain fact that much of the original ritual behind the lottery has been forgotten. All the townspeople know is that it begins with drawing lots from a box and stoning whoever pulls the ticket with a black spot. Part of tradition was even recently changed when Mr Summers suggested that they use slips of paper instead of chips of wood, so that they could fit enough lots for the 300 townsfolk in the black box, further diverting this modern lottery from the original lottery. In the United States, we as a culture have many similar traditions that have evolved but retained some basic structure, namely the jack-o-lantern. Centuries ago, it was a tradition in Europe (particularly Ireland) to convert turnips into lanterns with hideous faces on them, in an attempt to ward off evil spirits. The modern jack-o-lantern is carved from a pumpkin instead of a turnip, the faces are typically more goofy (or not faces at all, sometimes more complex artwork), and they're not used to protect against spirits and phantasms. But the core of the tradition has endured for nearly a thousand years, and the practice of carving them has become irremovable from the holiday of Halloween.
One of the first physical representations of tradition that we see is the black box, used to store the "lots" that are drawn during the titular lottery. The narrator specifies that this was not the original box used by the townsfolk. There may have been one or two before this, and that the current box is believed to have been constructed using wood from the previous box(es). Even though this is the "newest" iteration of the box, it is still extremely old. According to the narrator, "the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born." The narrator also says this of the box: "Every year, after the lottery, Mr. Summers began talking again about a new box, but every year the subject was allowed to fade off without anything's being done. The black box grew shabbier each year: by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained." There is no reason for a new box not to be made, but the villagers see the box itself as a now integral part of their tradition. Everyone currently living in this town knows this particular box, and building a new one (even one that incorporated elements or materials from the old box) would be something of a break in tradition.
Repeated throughout the story is the plain fact that much of the original ritual behind the lottery has been forgotten. All the townspeople know is that it begins with drawing lots from a box and stoning whoever pulls the ticket with a black spot. Part of tradition was even recently changed when Mr Summers suggested that they use slips of paper instead of chips of wood, so that they could fit enough lots for the 300 townsfolk in the black box, further diverting this modern lottery from the original lottery. In the United States, we as a culture have many similar traditions that have evolved but retained some basic structure, namely the jack-o-lantern. Centuries ago, it was a tradition in Europe (particularly Ireland) to convert turnips into lanterns with hideous faces on them, in an attempt to ward off evil spirits. The modern jack-o-lantern is carved from a pumpkin instead of a turnip, the faces are typically more goofy (or not faces at all, sometimes more complex artwork), and they're not used to protect against spirits and phantasms. But the core of the tradition has endured for nearly a thousand years, and the practice of carving them has become irremovable from the holiday of Halloween.
Hi Zach,
ReplyDeleteYou have made apt observations here. You have clearly stated your main point and provide a convincing example to illustrate your main idea. It is interesting to think about how the original spirit of the tradition slowly fades as it is repeated with difference. From here, I would like you tie your connections together a bit more. Specifically, I think you should focus connecting your main idea to what you are saying about the repetition of tradition both in this fictive case along with your example of the jack-o-lantern. How are the jack-o-lantern and the black box connected to the main idea you making? Tie these aspects together for your reader.
Hello Zach,
ReplyDeleteI believe the main point you are making in this report is how traditions, no matter how bizarre or brutal, can become recognized to a more acceptable extent in our society, evolving over time while maintaining their presence. For his supporting evidence from "The Lottery" Zach discusses how the black box is inherent to tradition in the communities culture. This is discussed as the box as a physical representation of their traditions, being the splinters from past boxes used in the newer ones. He also discusses the significance of the box not being remade, citing specific passages that prelude to a sense of reverence of the box itself from the townspeople. Zach also touches upon the inclusion of the lottery drawing as another example of tradition, specifically a ritual of sorts. This ritual spanning nearly a century and possibly much longer. Zach goes on to further discuss the evolution and "modernization" of said ritual being the use of slips of paper for the drawing instead of wood chips. The last point Zach makes to support his main idea including a more modern and non-fictional example of a tradition Americans have held over centuries, pumpkin carving. He states that although the tradition and items used has been slightly altered over time the "core" of said tradition remains very much the same.
I feel Zach's examples are for the most part convincing. His first supporting idea was used quite well to demonstrate to me a clear pattern of a tradition, in this case the drawing in the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. His second supporting evidence of the black box being a physical and symbolic representation of tradition was again well written and convincing in its support. His usage of support regarding the ritual the story represents and the literary evidence regarding the agelessness of the tradition mentioned are sound in my opinion, I had no trouble following along with that connection. Finally, his example of pumpkin carving as a tradition that has changed and evolved made a good modern example to support his main idea.
I would however say in regards to change that the pumpkin carving example can still be fleshed out a bit more. Perhaps showing an exact way textually it relates and applies to the lottery specifically, with an example would make it a more solid connection and argument for the last supporting piece if evidence to support his main idea. All in all an interesting report to read, very good observations and well thought out.
Josh Nowaczyk