rain, tractors and taxes (422).“ The presence of tractors shows us that this takes place in the twentieth century. “We are also told that Mr. Summers is wearing a clean white shirt and blue jeans. Blue jeans were not around and predominant until the twentieth century. This makes the story close to home, instead of set back in the dark ages. The fact that it was set only a few decades ago makes the story’s ending even more horrifying and unreal. No one wants to believe that such a thing could happen in modern day America. Yarmove states “There were many Americans who, after the end of World War II and the revelations of the early Nuremburge trials in 1945 and 1946, smugly asserted that such atrocities could happen in Nazi Germany but not in the United States”(Yarmove). Jackson shook the world with this short story since it was published in 1948. The Lottery is full of symbolism that helps to make the story more real and more alive. The story can evoke emotions within you by using this literary technique. This is a true horror story. People do not want to believe that such things could still take place in everyday America. The thought of this occurring scares people and makes them wonder just how civilized we really are. Work CitedThomas R. Arp, Perrine’s Literature (Harcourt Brace College Publishers: Fort Worth, Philadelphia, San Diego, New York, Orlando, Austin, San Antonio, Toronto, Montreal, London, Sydney, Tokyo) Dedria Bryfonski ed., Contemporary Literary Criticisms Vol. 11 ( Detroit – Washington D.C. – London: Gale Research Inc., 1979)Frank N. Magill ed., Critical Survey Of Fiction Vol. HUG-MIS (Pasadena, Ca; Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Salem Press, 1983)Roger Matzu ed., Contemporary Literary Criticisms Vol. 60 ( Detroit – Washington D.C. – London: Gale Research Inc., 1990) Griffin, Amy. Jackson’s The Lottery. Explicator Fall’99, Vol. 58 Issue 1. p4...
