Short Story Analysis and Themes

Study Notes

The Lottery: A tradition where families sacrifice a family member for a good crop. The sacrifice is chosen by picking slips of paper from a black box. Themes include human nature (are people inherently bad?), tradition, and family structures/gender roles.
The Box-Social: Sylvia, ill, returns to an event where women make lunch boxes. The boxes are auctioned among men. A stillborn baby is discovered in one box. Sylvia, feeling betrayed by the father, commits suicide. Themes include women's rights, tradition (especially concerning marriage and family honour), and societal shame.
The Gift of the Magi: A poor couple, the wife sells her hair to buy a watch chain, and the husband sells his watch to buy her combs. The sacrifice they make highlights their selfless love, showing the importance that love outweighs materialistic goods.
The Necklace: A wife covets a wealthy lifestyle, borrowing a necklace to attend a social event. She loses the necklace and, with her husband, must work tirelessly to replace it and gain it back. She realizes it was a fake. The story emphasizes that greed and wanting material possessions for others is not essential.

Simile: A comparison using "like" or "as" (e.g., "The sun was like a burning ember").
Metaphor: A comparison without using "like" or "as" (e.g., "The world is a stage").
Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words (e.g., "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers").
Imagery: Vivid descriptions that appeal to the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).
Pathetic Fallacy: When the weather or environment mirrors the mood of the story (e.g., rain falling during a sad scene).
Hyperbole: Exaggeration for effect (e.g., "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse").
Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things (e.g., "The wind whispered secrets").
Allusion: A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.
Symbolism: Using an object or action to represent an idea or quality.

Pathos: Evokes pity or sadness (e.g., Antony's speech using emotion to sway the crowd).
Logos: Uses logic and reason (e.g., quoting Caesar's will).
Ethos: Appeals to an audience's sense of credibility and trust (e.g., Antony emphasizing his relationship with Caesar).

Importance of Adaptability and Change: The story explores the importance of accepting differences.
The Dangers of Blind Conformity: The negative consequences occur in societies that adhere to strict traditions. Characters discover that conformity hinders acceptance of differences and advancements.