Answer:
In her short story “The Lottery,” author Shirley Jackson uses several objects such as the lottery itself, the black box, stones and character names to represent something more than just simple things or objects. These objects and symbols are woven together to paint a bleak picture of a small town that is blindly following an old tradition even though most of the people know nothing about it, nor do they really care about how it started. Jackson effectively uses these symbols to help the reader see the greater tragedy and danger in society when people blindly do something – either for good or bad – that everyone else is doing just because it’s a tradition.
The lottery represents any action, behavior or unyielding tradition that is passed from generation to generation and followed without any questions or objections. Despite the fact that the lottery is fatal, cruel and unusual, the people of the village continue to willingly participate in it. How much a part of the fabric of the community has the lottery become? At the beginning of the lottery, one character, Mr. Summers, puts it this way: “Guess we better get started, get this over with, so’s we can go back to work…” This shows how no one in the village really cares about this ritual. The people think of it more as a chore that has to be completed than an actual tradition full of meaning. The fact that they are about to take a human live by stoning someone to death is completely lost on them. This is a powerful example of how society can become blind to the traditions that we partake in, if we participate in them so frequently or thoughtlessly, that they lose any valuable meaning.
The black box plays an important role in the story, as it is the main focus. There is more to it then just being a black box. First, the box’s black color represents death, mourning and punishment. The names of all of the people are placed in this box and whomever gets picked faces death by stoning. It also represents the loyalty the villagers have toward this tradition, despite its silliness. “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.” The people of the village refuse to let go of this box and are not willing to replace it even though it’s deteriorating and continuing to wear out year after year. They keep using the box as they claim it has a story of a long past that goes back in time, but in reality they do not know if that story is even true or not.
The stones are another integral part of the story. Stoning is a group effort that requires many people to participate in. So, in the story, all of the villagers are able to take part, from the youngest children to the oldest adults. Stones have been around for a long time, as they were the first tools that humans used. The practice of stoning has been around since biblical times. Then, stoning was a form of killing used against religious groups or believers. It symbolized the expulsion of an outside believer to reinforce the ideas and beliefs of the mainstream group.
Several significant names are included in the story. The three most prominent ones are Mr. Summers, Mr. and Mrs. Graves and Mr. and Mrs. Delacroix. These three names have important meanings. Summer represents the season, which is associated with blooming, happiness, warmth, youth and prime of life. The setting at the beginning of the story is a nice, warm summer day. But, the reader later learns that this isn't a happy story, as it quickly turns dark and disturbing. The character of Mr. Summers is one of a very proper man who gets right down to business and finishes whatever needs to get done. He represents the fate of the villagers’ lives. He is in charge of running the lottery and the name he draws from box will die.
The names of the next characters, Mr. and Mrs. Graves, represent death, a place of entombment and darkness. Mr. Graves assists Mr. Summers in the process of the lottery. There’s irony because his name means a grave, a place where people are placed in when they die. He essentially assists in someone’s death. In the story, Mrs. Graves comments, "Time sure goes fast." How ironic. Death comes once a year for the village, which seems to go by very fast to the people.