Discussion Topic: The Symbolism of Tradition in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”

In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” symbols and traditions are central to the story’s deeper meanings. Your task is to examine these elements while incorporating quotes from the text and insights from the assigned textbook chapters. Your writing should be a minimum of 250 words.

Prompt:

Identify Symbols: Find two symbols in “The Lottery” and explain their meanings. Use quotes from the story to support your analysis. Additionally, cite one relevant quote from Chapter 4 of “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” by Thomas C. Foster.

Tradition’s Impact: Explore how tradition influences the characters and the narrative in “The Lottery.” Use specific quotes from the story to illustrate this influence. Relate your analysis to Chapter 6 of “They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing” by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein by including one relevant quote.

Author’s Message: Discuss Shirley Jackson’s message in “The Lottery.” Provide quotes from the story that showcase literary devices like symbolism or irony. Connect this to Chapter 6 of “They Say/I Say” with one quote that relates to effective academic writing.

Comparative Analysis: Analyze how the discussion of symbolism and tradition in “The Lottery” aligns with the strategies for analysis presented in Chapter 6 of “They Say/I Say.” Include one quote from the textbook chapter that supports your analysis.

Engage Critical Perspectives: Reflect on how different readers might interpret “The Lottery” and how this aligns with or challenges ideas from Chapter 4 of Foster’s book. Use one quote from “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” to support your perspective.

Remember to incorporate these quotes seamlessly into your responses and provide insightful analysis alongside them.