Part 1.
Although I have read “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson many times before, I still thoroughly enjoy it. “The Lottery” reminds me of a scary movie because typically the scariest parts come as a surprise to the audience despite seeming obvious after the fact. Also, suspense is built up in a horror film toward the climax: usually the scariest part of the film. Like some scary movies, the end of “The Lottery” always catches me off guard, such that it almost sneaks up and pops out of nowhere unexpectedly. Yet, the entire story foreshadows each occurrence that leads up to the climax. This story is one that almost tricks the reader into thinking they know what will happen to the Hutchinson family, yet due to the tone of the characters, we know that nothing good can come of the lottery. In addition, the reader is further fooled because most modern people believe a lottery to be an event with a positive, not a negative, connotation. The irony and unconscious knowledge of the conclusion is what makes “The Lottery” one of those stories that can be read many times without tiring.
Part 2.
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is one of those that keeps the reader in suspense the entire time, until the end, where the unthinkable happens. Although the reader is surprised at the finale, unbeknownst to the reader, the ending had been foreshadowed the entire time by characters and events. Jackson uses foreshadowing and suspense to build the reader up to the climax of the “The Lottery”.
Reading “The Lottery” once is not sufficient enough to fully appreciate the hints and foreshadowing that Jackson includes within the body of the story. She uses both conversations between characters, characters’ actions, and descriptions of demeanor to lead the reader to believe the conclusion will not be a happy one, yet, also supplies contrasting events and actions to confuse the reader and build suspense. First, the title “The Lottery” is one that conveys a positive message to the reader. Lotteries are usually thought to be positive events, therefore, the use of this as the title is a crucial use of irony established by Jackson.
The meeting of the townspeople in the square is what starts off this story. The reader is confronted with feelings of obligation and tradition expressed by the characters. Jackson uses foreshadowing by describing the demeanors of the groups of people gathered in the square. First, the children are hesitant to play, but then begin to play with rocks by placing them into a pile. Next, the men that gather make meaningless small talk, and are too engulfed in the event to laugh at jokes offered by neighbors. Finally, the women are described in such a way that makes them seem nervous and tense. When Mr. Summers asks for help with the “black box”, the villagers were hesitant, further insinuating that this event will not be a happy one. With such a small town and residents who all know each other, the reader must assume something is wrong if the villagers prefer not to help Summers with the box.
After the characters are described in minor detail, the ritual of the lottery is described. It seems that, regardless of whether or not anyone dislikes the lottery in this town, it is here to stay for the time being due to its deep roots in tradition. The lottery is so sacred and protected that the black box is kept in a safe the night before the drawing (it is kept in the coal factory which is a foreshadowing to the marking on one of the slips of paper drawn during the lottery). Next, Mrs. Hutchinson is introduced, who happens to be late to the assembly. Strangely, her family did not decide to alert her to their departure when they left their house that morning. As a friendly banter with Mr. Summers to explain her reason for being late to the assembly, Mrs. Hutchinson states, “ ‘Wouldn’t have me leave m’dishes in the sink, now, would you. Joe?’” Unless she feels she would not be coming back to finish the dishes, why would they not be able to wait for her return? This remark foreshadows Mrs. Hutchinson’s fate at the end of the story.
Once the assembly begins, the characters fall silent, which instructs the reader that the event is serious and to be taken seriously. Jackson describes the characters by saying “they grinned at one another humorlessly and nervously”. Here, the climax is begging to be built by suspense. In a conversation between two characters, we find out that other towns have eliminated the use of lotteries. The only conclusion to come to from that statement is that they are not favored anymore, which would mean they are a bad thing or unnecessary. Once Bill Hutchinson picks the ‘winning lottery ticket,’ the other towns people are relieved. Mrs. Hutchinson begins to rant that the lottery is not fair, and the reader again gets the message that the lottery win will not be a good thing for the Hutchinson family. Finally Tessie Hutchinson picks the winning ticket and is stoned with the stones the children had set aside in the beginning of the story.
Shirley Jackson utilizes suspense throughout “The Lottery” by keeping the reader guessing as to whether the lottery is a good or a bad thing. She uses foreshadowing to hint to the reader that the lottery will not end happily. For example, the characters (all except the children) are stiff and anxious. Also, the overall tone of the crowd is somber, and although they are simply honoring tradition, there are a few in the crowd who do not understand the need for the ritual. From this, the reader can surmise that the lottery is not necessary and not liked by all. The suspense is built up using contradictory actions and expressions of emotions, until the very end, when an unexpected act occurs to a character for whom we have built up inexplicable sympathy. Jackson’s message, in a literary sense, seems to be that at any time there can be a twist in the story, and it is up to us to watch out for it. On a personal level, Jackson’s message can be read as, not everything is what it seems.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Blog 4- Fitzgerald
Melissa Long
Part 1:
At first I hated “Bernice Bobs Her Hair”. I thought it was pointless and boring. During the second half of the story, however, the tone changed and the events seemed to be picking up pace. I began to form an opinion as to where the story was heading, and each event that occurred backed up my assumption. Once Bernice bobbed her hair, I became angry with Majorie. The ending was completely satisfying, and relieved my feelings of anxiety over Bernice’s situation.
Part 2:
The author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, puts a lot of effort into providing the reader with tidbits of information on each character included in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair”. Originally, the narrator offers us information on the setting in which we will find our actors. Next, the reader is introduced to some characters and given some minor information on them. Originally, the narrator has the reader follow the events of Warren McIntyre. Later, however, the author incorporates Majorie Harvey into the picture. Both of these characters are established and the reader is provided with more background information than with the other characters. Majorie originally is portrayed, through Warren’s eyes, as a polite and sought-after beauty. Through Bernice’s perceptions, however, we are shown a different side of Majorie: a side that is evil and maniacal.
Each character in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” is originally portrayed in one way, and then with the addition of conflict and drama, is left to be interpreted by the reader in a different way. The character, Warren McIntyre, is first revealed as a quiet loner who does not involve himself directly into the social scene. He is in love with Majorie, whom he perceives as perfect, sweet, thoughtful, and beautiful. Warren is often forced to dance with Majorie’s cousin, Bernice, whom is perceived as weak, “dopeless” and “dull”. He does so to win the affection of his love Majorie. Through a different perspective (that of cousin Bernice), we see that Majorie is not really a sweet girl. Instead, the reader finds out that Majorie puts on a mask so as to win the affection of men, and in reality, she is leading them all on just for the attention. Bernice’s persona changes from quiet and boring to naive and hopelessly looking for affection and popularity in all the wrong places. With the help of Majorie, Bernice is able to fit the mold of a modern socialite woman and accomplish her goal of fitting in. In addition, she acquires the attention of Warren, who can now be seen as shallow for only liking Bernice now that she has better social skills. Warren decides Bernice is not good enough for him, however, when she cuts her hair. Majorie becomes a malicious character by deliberately planning the public embarrassment of her cousin in order to become the most popular again. And finally, Bernice exacts her revenge by placing the same fate on her cousin that she is now left to endure. Bernice leaves the story as a self-assured and strong character.
Apparently, Fitzgerald decided in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” that identity is not static. The reader’s view of each character is morphed throughout the entire story with the addition of new events and interactions. The major change was that of Bernice with her transformation from reserved and unsure to assertive and confident. Her identity not only changed for us as the readers, but also for her as a character. The identities of the other characters were possibly always the same, but were revealed slowly allowing the reader to formulate opinions about each one. Bernice’s transformation was drastic and was a permanent alteration to her personal identity.
Part 1:
At first I hated “Bernice Bobs Her Hair”. I thought it was pointless and boring. During the second half of the story, however, the tone changed and the events seemed to be picking up pace. I began to form an opinion as to where the story was heading, and each event that occurred backed up my assumption. Once Bernice bobbed her hair, I became angry with Majorie. The ending was completely satisfying, and relieved my feelings of anxiety over Bernice’s situation.
Part 2:
The author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, puts a lot of effort into providing the reader with tidbits of information on each character included in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair”. Originally, the narrator offers us information on the setting in which we will find our actors. Next, the reader is introduced to some characters and given some minor information on them. Originally, the narrator has the reader follow the events of Warren McIntyre. Later, however, the author incorporates Majorie Harvey into the picture. Both of these characters are established and the reader is provided with more background information than with the other characters. Majorie originally is portrayed, through Warren’s eyes, as a polite and sought-after beauty. Through Bernice’s perceptions, however, we are shown a different side of Majorie: a side that is evil and maniacal.
Each character in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” is originally portrayed in one way, and then with the addition of conflict and drama, is left to be interpreted by the reader in a different way. The character, Warren McIntyre, is first revealed as a quiet loner who does not involve himself directly into the social scene. He is in love with Majorie, whom he perceives as perfect, sweet, thoughtful, and beautiful. Warren is often forced to dance with Majorie’s cousin, Bernice, whom is perceived as weak, “dopeless” and “dull”. He does so to win the affection of his love Majorie. Through a different perspective (that of cousin Bernice), we see that Majorie is not really a sweet girl. Instead, the reader finds out that Majorie puts on a mask so as to win the affection of men, and in reality, she is leading them all on just for the attention. Bernice’s persona changes from quiet and boring to naive and hopelessly looking for affection and popularity in all the wrong places. With the help of Majorie, Bernice is able to fit the mold of a modern socialite woman and accomplish her goal of fitting in. In addition, she acquires the attention of Warren, who can now be seen as shallow for only liking Bernice now that she has better social skills. Warren decides Bernice is not good enough for him, however, when she cuts her hair. Majorie becomes a malicious character by deliberately planning the public embarrassment of her cousin in order to become the most popular again. And finally, Bernice exacts her revenge by placing the same fate on her cousin that she is now left to endure. Bernice leaves the story as a self-assured and strong character.
Apparently, Fitzgerald decided in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” that identity is not static. The reader’s view of each character is morphed throughout the entire story with the addition of new events and interactions. The major change was that of Bernice with her transformation from reserved and unsure to assertive and confident. Her identity not only changed for us as the readers, but also for her as a character. The identities of the other characters were possibly always the same, but were revealed slowly allowing the reader to formulate opinions about each one. Bernice’s transformation was drastic and was a permanent alteration to her personal identity.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Blog Assignment 3
"A&P" by John Updike
Part 1:
I thought this story was pretty interesting. I am actually a psychology major, and I love reading other people's opinions of their surroundings and observations of life because it opens a great window into how they think. I feel like I would dislike the narrator if i met him in person, because he seems arrogant. I know that everyone judges other people, most of the time automatically, but this guy is an a-hole. For example, the narrator calls the customers "sheep" insinuating they are mindless shopping machines, or unintelligent. He also refers to a customer who he termed a "witch" and believes, as a result of this observation, references the Salem witch burnings. He seems a little harsh when making observations about the three girls, and contradicts himself by labeling to the leader "Queenie". Overall, I enjoyed reading this story because it was interesting, at times funny, and held my attention by offering unexpected turns (e.g.- when the narrator quit his job at the end in a valliant effort to win the approval of his admired snob).
Part 2:
The narrator in A&P reveals several things about himself, his personality, and the diegesis in which the story takes place in the discourse of his narrative. There is no exposition offered by the narrator, so the reader is left to surmise his situation. In reading “A&P”, the reader discovers the narrator is a nineteen-year-old cashier at a grocery store. This story takes place in the 1980’s, which is apparent when the narrator refers to a girl’s hair, which is not teased (“frizzed”) correctly. We know the events definitely occur before 1990, because the narrator refers to a future event that may occur “maybe in 1990”. The reader is also told by the narrator that the location of this place of business is “five miles from the beach… in the middle of town… north of Boston”. The narrator comes off to the reader as young and fun loving, the opposite of his superior, because he talks down about his boss who is “pretty dreary” and “teaches Sunday school”. The reader may deduce that, in the opinion of the narrator, as a result of his lifestyle and work environment, the manager has become a dull person. This personality type conflicts with that of the narrator, who enjoys the rebellious nature of the three girls, and impulsively uses their embarrassment as a reason for quitting his job. It also seems that the narrator has a specific bias against women, because most of his critiques (except for his boss and fellow employee) are directed at women. The narrator questions the minds of women, and insults women in the same statement by asking, “do you really think it’s a mind in there or just a little buzz like a bee in a glass jar”? The narrator reveals himself to be slightly arrogant, judgmental, naïve, impulsive, stubborn, and hormonal.
The narrator notices the three girls who walk into his store, and immediately begins to critique them, beginning with the one he perceives to be overweight and unattractive (more so from the front). He changes his opinion of the girls from the beginning of the story, where he initially had an easy time putting them down (including “Queenie”). The narrator originally thinks of the leader of the girls to be snobby: he says she has “prima donna legs”. He seems to not only think of her as stuck-up but also as arrogant and in control of her two friends. It is not until he begins to notice her appearance that he turns around his opinion of her. He still sees her as being the “Queen”, but also views her as attractive. Later, the narrator comments on his remorseful feelings for the girls when he notices other men staring at them. This is the turn in the story where the narrator’s subjective opinion shifts from self-centered to sympathetic. He even rationalizes their behavior of coming into the store not properly dressed by claiming that most people prefer “juvenile delinquency” to following policy. As a result of his change in opinion, the cashier quits his job, with a secret hope that the girls will praise him for his efforts to stand up for their decision to wear what they want into the store. The narrator begins the story with heavy criticisms and presumptuous judgments of others, and ends with a compassionate gesture to stand up for the rights of a customer. It just so happens that the reason he stood up for the girls is because he was attracted to one, and did not think rationally about the situation. He also expected to be rewarded for his actions, and instead realizes the severity of his decision and its impact on his future. In reality, the narrator never changed as a person. Instead, his temporary opinion was altered by clouded visions of his crush and he made a rash decision in accordance with that opinion. He remains arrogant, immature, and judgmental, but may be a little less naïve.
Part 1:
I thought this story was pretty interesting. I am actually a psychology major, and I love reading other people's opinions of their surroundings and observations of life because it opens a great window into how they think. I feel like I would dislike the narrator if i met him in person, because he seems arrogant. I know that everyone judges other people, most of the time automatically, but this guy is an a-hole. For example, the narrator calls the customers "sheep" insinuating they are mindless shopping machines, or unintelligent. He also refers to a customer who he termed a "witch" and believes, as a result of this observation, references the Salem witch burnings. He seems a little harsh when making observations about the three girls, and contradicts himself by labeling to the leader "Queenie". Overall, I enjoyed reading this story because it was interesting, at times funny, and held my attention by offering unexpected turns (e.g.- when the narrator quit his job at the end in a valliant effort to win the approval of his admired snob).
Part 2:
The narrator in A&P reveals several things about himself, his personality, and the diegesis in which the story takes place in the discourse of his narrative. There is no exposition offered by the narrator, so the reader is left to surmise his situation. In reading “A&P”, the reader discovers the narrator is a nineteen-year-old cashier at a grocery store. This story takes place in the 1980’s, which is apparent when the narrator refers to a girl’s hair, which is not teased (“frizzed”) correctly. We know the events definitely occur before 1990, because the narrator refers to a future event that may occur “maybe in 1990”. The reader is also told by the narrator that the location of this place of business is “five miles from the beach… in the middle of town… north of Boston”. The narrator comes off to the reader as young and fun loving, the opposite of his superior, because he talks down about his boss who is “pretty dreary” and “teaches Sunday school”. The reader may deduce that, in the opinion of the narrator, as a result of his lifestyle and work environment, the manager has become a dull person. This personality type conflicts with that of the narrator, who enjoys the rebellious nature of the three girls, and impulsively uses their embarrassment as a reason for quitting his job. It also seems that the narrator has a specific bias against women, because most of his critiques (except for his boss and fellow employee) are directed at women. The narrator questions the minds of women, and insults women in the same statement by asking, “do you really think it’s a mind in there or just a little buzz like a bee in a glass jar”? The narrator reveals himself to be slightly arrogant, judgmental, naïve, impulsive, stubborn, and hormonal.
The narrator notices the three girls who walk into his store, and immediately begins to critique them, beginning with the one he perceives to be overweight and unattractive (more so from the front). He changes his opinion of the girls from the beginning of the story, where he initially had an easy time putting them down (including “Queenie”). The narrator originally thinks of the leader of the girls to be snobby: he says she has “prima donna legs”. He seems to not only think of her as stuck-up but also as arrogant and in control of her two friends. It is not until he begins to notice her appearance that he turns around his opinion of her. He still sees her as being the “Queen”, but also views her as attractive. Later, the narrator comments on his remorseful feelings for the girls when he notices other men staring at them. This is the turn in the story where the narrator’s subjective opinion shifts from self-centered to sympathetic. He even rationalizes their behavior of coming into the store not properly dressed by claiming that most people prefer “juvenile delinquency” to following policy. As a result of his change in opinion, the cashier quits his job, with a secret hope that the girls will praise him for his efforts to stand up for their decision to wear what they want into the store. The narrator begins the story with heavy criticisms and presumptuous judgments of others, and ends with a compassionate gesture to stand up for the rights of a customer. It just so happens that the reason he stood up for the girls is because he was attracted to one, and did not think rationally about the situation. He also expected to be rewarded for his actions, and instead realizes the severity of his decision and its impact on his future. In reality, the narrator never changed as a person. Instead, his temporary opinion was altered by clouded visions of his crush and he made a rash decision in accordance with that opinion. He remains arrogant, immature, and judgmental, but may be a little less naïve.
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