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Questions and Answers
What theme does the dangerous tradition in the village lottery illustrate?
What theme does the dangerous tradition in the village lottery illustrate?
What does Tessie's death in the lottery exemplify?
What does Tessie's death in the lottery exemplify?
What does the black box symbolize in the lottery?
What does the black box symbolize in the lottery?
Tradition and the illogic of villagers' loyalty to it.
What does the lottery symbolize?
What does the lottery symbolize?
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How do family bonds play a role in the lottery?
How do family bonds play a role in the lottery?
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What is a key characteristic of the rules in the lottery?
What is a key characteristic of the rules in the lottery?
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Study Notes
Themes
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The Danger of Blindly Following Tradition
- The annual village lottery ends in ritualistic murder, highlighting the peril of unquestioned adherence to tradition.
- Villagers do not pause to reflect on the morality of their actions, illustrating a dangerous conformity.
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The Randomness of Persecution
- Victims of the lottery face violence due to chance, as the innocent suffer simply for drawing an unfavorable slip of paper.
- Tessie Hutchinson's death exemplifies the absurdity of societal persecution based on arbitrary criteria.
Symbols
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The Black Box
- Represents the weight of tradition and the irrational loyalty of the villagers towards the lottery ritual.
- The box's deterioration symbolizes the outdated and barbaric nature of the practice.
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The Lottery
- Serves as a metaphor for any blindly accepted practice passed down through generations, regardless of its senselessness or cruelty.
- Encourages critical questioning of societal norms and practices.
Motifs
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Family
- Family ties play a crucial role in the narrative, yet the lottery exposes the brutal reality where kin may betray each other.
- The emphasis on familial relationships intensifies the horror of violence perpetrated against one’s own.
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Rules
- The lottery is governed by a set of arbitrary rules that the villagers follow, often without understanding their purpose or significance.
- This motif highlights the absurdity of blindly adhering to guidelines that lack rationale.
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Description
Explore the key themes, symbols, and motifs in Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery'. This quiz focuses on the dangers of blindly following tradition and the randomness of persecution. Test your understanding of these critical concepts and their implications in the story.
