‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson is a short story in which there is an isolated character, Tessie Hutchinson. There are many themes and techniques in the story such as foreshadowing, symbolism, and setting which highlight Tessie`s isolation from society. In the story, there is a village that takes part in a lottery each year when someone is chosen by a black spot on a slip of paper from a black box to be killed. This demonstrates the thin veneer of civilization and the sinister undertones of society.
Tessie`s isolation as a character first becomes apparent with her late arrival at the lottery. At the beginning of the story, the people of the town have all gathered in the town square, separated by gender, waiting for the lottery to take place. By the time Tessie arrives, the lottery is already underway. She excuses herself saying: 'Thought we were going to have to get on without you, Tessie.' Mrs. Hutchinson said grinning, 'Wouldn't have me leave dishes in the sink, now, would you? Joe?' This shows that Tessie is isolated from society because she is physically not in attendance at the lottery at the beginning. This suggests that the ritual of the lottery is so normalized that she has forgotten it is taking place. She imagines that she is immune to the ceremony and that nothing bad will happen to her. She is also isolated from her family at the beginning who have left her at home to go to the lottery. This foreshadows her tragic death at the end of the story. Tessie`s late arrival sets her apart from the rest of society. This foreshadows what happens to her later in the text as she gradually becomes more and more isolated.
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Another moment we see Tessie`s isolation from her society is through her reaction to her family being picked to win the lottery. After the first round of drawing names, it is revealed that Bill has the black-marked paper and that it will be the Hutchinsons who are to be re-entered into the lottery. 'Be a good sport, Tessie.' Mrs. Delacroix called, and Mrs. Graves said, 'All of us took the same chance.' This shows that Tessie is a hypocrite who was happy to participate in the Lottery and to watch others be chosen but was very defensive when her family was chosen by the black spot slip. This makes her isolated because other people in the village go against her and push her to accept the slip. The word sport has connotations of fairness and honesty. This suggests that society feels that Tessie is not honest or fair when she is chosen and this isolates her further. She has immediately become an outcast. Tessie`s reaction to her family being picked for the Lottery helps to isolate her from the rest of society and those she loves.
Tessie becomes further isolated from her society and those she loves when she rebels against being selected as the winner of the Lottery. Towards the end of the novel, Tessie is selected to be the year`s sacrificial person. However, she immediately speaks out against the nature of the lottery. It isn`t fair, it isn`t right, Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her. Tessie`s reaction sets her apart from the rest of society because she tries very hard to have the lottery redrawn when she is chosen. This further highlights her hypocrisy. The word they suggest that everyone in the village is against Tessie and that she is completely alone. Right has connotations of true, correct, and good, which emphasize that Tessie feels her being chosen is not true and should be contested. It also highlights the idea that the lottery ritual is not fair. However, once Tessie has been chosen the rest of the village conforms to the ritual and she is isolated. Tessie`s reaction to the choice of her as the final victim further sets her apart from her society because while they accept the result as something that is to happen, she does not accept this and disagrees with the lottery.
Just before her death, at the end of the novel Tessie is also presented as being physically isolated from those she loves. In the final scene of the lottery, Tessie is shown to be physically isolated from her society. In the final scene, the villagers encircle Tessie while she protests for her life. Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. Tessie`s physical and visual isolation makes her appear weak and vulnerable. She is separated from the rest of the village and again looks like an outcast. Not only is she alone when she Is chosen for the lottery but she is also physically alone when she is attacked. Using the phrase the villagers suggest that by being chosen for the lottery Tessie is no longer a member of society she is completely alone. The final image of Tessie being surrounded by the other people of the town shows her to be an isolated character.
‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson is a short story in which there is an isolated central character, Tessie Hutchinson. There are many themes and techniques which emphasize her isolation such as setting, symbolism, and foreshadowing.
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