The-Lottery-英語閱讀理解

1、 was born December 14, in San Francisco, CA. Jackson received her BA in English from . She married Stanley Edgar Hyman, a staff writer and literary critic at the New Yorker in the 1940s. She and Hyman had 4 children. Jacksons writing career flourished with publications in The New Yorker, Mademoisell

2、e, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Charm, The Yale Review, The New Republic, The Saturday Evening Post, and Readers Digest. She also published several collections of stories. Jackson died of heart failure on August 8th, in Bennington, VT. The Lottery by Shirley JacksonBackground Information: The Author

3、Shirley JacksonShirley Jackson, American novelist and short-story writer best known for her story “The Lottery” (1948). Jacksons skilful warping of a popular pastime has become an American classic, establishing her position as one of the great American horror writersWarm-up DiscussionWhat is the lot

4、tery? Where does the lottery take place? Describe the setting.What happened to Mrs. Hutchinson?Were you surprised by the ending of the story? What was your reaction?How do the townspeople feel about the lottery?The Lottery5Setting: EffectivenessSetting: EffectivenessSmall townCould be anywhere (smal

5、l town, USA)No specific locale or year givenWidespread attitudes - anywhere, any eraThe Lottery6Tone and Movement of PlotTone and Movement of PlotExposition: Very little conflict Holiday picnic atmosphereComplication:Mrs. Hutchinson is late.Gradually builds to horrifying conclusionClimax:We discover

6、 the true nature of the lottery.Contrast contributes to horror.DenouementWhat is it?StoningIn early Bible History, stoning was the (perhaps surprising to many) God-commanded Israelite method of executing those found guilty of the most serious offenses against His Law. Unlike most other forms of capi

7、tal punishment, stoning had no specific executioner, all the congregation shall stone .In ancient Athens, Greece, Athenians believed that human sacrifice promised fertile crops.human sacrifice promised fertile crops. By transferring ones sins to persons or animals and then sacrificing them, , a proc

8、ess that has been termed A similar ritual sacrifice occurs with Tessie Hutchinson.This explains the village members remark, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.”“Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.” Scapegoat- This is a person, group, or thing assigned responsibility for the perceived faults of a

9、given society. The term has many roots in the ancient world. In modern times the holocaust is often pointed to as an example of scapegoating by which 6 millions Jews were killed under direction of Adolf Hitler. Hitler played on popular sentiment in his country at the time by blaming Jews for the los

10、s of the first world war and the economic woes of Germany.Because there has always been a lottery“, the Because there has always been a lottery“, the villagers feel compelled to continue this horrifying villagers feel compelled to continue this horrifying tradition. tradition. They focus on its , fo

11、r they still remembered to use stones even after they have forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box“. The story may be saying that society tends toward The story may be saying that society tends toward violence instead of societys need for civilized violence instead of societys need for

12、civilized traditions.traditions.Capitalism But on another level, its about the economic productivity of this village and how to keep that productivity in placeThus, Kosenko argues, we need to look at the economic hierarchy of the village, starting from the wealthiest and going down to the workers an

13、d their wives and children.HierarchyMr Summers is the wealthiest: he owns the coal mine in town. He also more “time and energy to devote to civic activities than others.”Then comes Mr. Graves, its postmaster.Then Mr. Martin, the only grocer in town. The box is stored in their offices; also, the slip

14、s are prepared the night before the lottery in Mr. Summers office. There exists a distinct possibility that the lottery is fixed.More HierarchyNext down one might consider Old Man Warner to be an informal authority or patriarch. Hes been through the lottery 77 times.Then comes working males, such as

15、 Mr. Adams, Mr Hutchinson. They are closely followed by their sons (who draw in their fathers absence).Then come women. Based on the womens shabby clothing and the fact of how the boys respond (or not) to their mothers authority, one can easily see the women as largely powerless.More HierarchyLast o

16、f all come those who cannot work, such as Mr. Dunbar (who has a broken leg) or those families with a dead father.And at the very bottom are those who rebel or question the system, such as Tessie. Note how she tells her husband “to go up there” to draw the lottery ticket.Kosenko makes a great point w

17、hen he notes that those most marginalized are those most familiar with the terror of the lottery; thus, when the slip is drawn, the women immediately speculate on who has been chosen.Another Possibility: TraditionIn part, the story is a reaction against blindly following such traditions as scapegoat

18、ing. Much of the ceremony and artifacts of the lottery have been lost, such as the salute, wooden ballots, etc.Also, there is a hint in what Old Man Warner says (“Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.”) that the lottery once served as a blood sacrifice to produce good crops, but that connection seems

19、 to have been forgotten.Historical ContextWe also have to remember that Jackson wrote this story following WWII, in which Jews had been scapegoated by the Nazis. This period was almost unimaginable to us. Approximately 60 million people died in WWII, and the war provoked incredible violence from a v

20、ariety of nations.“The Lottery” was written in 1948.After World War II Americans tended to rather than follow their own separate paths. Encouraging this conformityEncouraging this conformity was the spread of , which broadcast the same set of images to Americans scattered through the country. In pol

21、itics, people feared the spread of Communism, leading to the Un-American Activities Committee, the Hollywood blacklist, and by 1950, McCarthys Communist “witch hunt” In the story, the townspeople are swept away by the In the story, the townspeople are swept away by the tide of conformity, and the lo

22、ttery goes ahead as tide of conformity, and the lottery goes ahead as always.always.By 1943 news of the Nazi concentration camps had finally reached America. A number of Americans responded with horror and concern that . Jackson hints at a similar situation in her story when the townspeople are unab

23、le to fully questiontownspeople are unable to fully question or prevent the brutal lottery practice, and in fact, prevent the brutal lottery practice, and in fact, participate in it.participate in it.During World War II, Jews and other targeted During World War II, Jews and other targeted groups wer

24、e torn from their communities and groups were torn from their communities and sent to their death while the world stood by in sent to their death while the world stood by in silence.silence. In “The Lottery,” Tessie is similarly suddenly In “The Lottery,” Tessie is similarly suddenly members of her

25、members of her own community.own community.A few of the townspeople disagree with the ritual, A few of the townspeople disagree with the ritual, but they merely mutter their displeasure under their but they merely mutter their displeasure under their breath, afraid to speak out more boldly against t

26、he breath, afraid to speak out more boldly against the practice.practice. Not only do humans blindly perpetrate evil, the Not only do humans blindly perpetrate evil, the story tells us, but they are also capable of closing story tells us, but they are also capable of closing their eyes to and even p

27、articipating in terrors that their eyes to and even participating in terrors that occur in their midst.occur in their midst. “The Lottery” alludes to the Biblical story in which Jesus frees an adulterous woman, directing to cast the first stone. No one throws stones at her. No one throws stones at h

28、er. Unfortunately, no one in “The Lottery”The Lottery” stops this stoning. Tessie becomes their scapegoat; Tessie becomes their scapegoat; she pays for their sins.she pays for their sins.At the end of The Lottery, the reader At the end of The Lottery, the reader discovers with horror what is about t

29、o happen, discovers with horror what is about to happen, but the story ends with the casting of the first but the story ends with the casting of the first stones. stones. The as the reader notes foreshadowing in the story with growing uneasinessGroup work: Give five examples from the story that show

30、 how men have the power in this society.male keeps box; men draw; womens identities directly tied to their husbands; men stand in front; boys are playing; girls are standing around quietly; a woman dies in the endTessie Hutchinson defies the concept Tessie Hutchinson defies the concept of the of the

31、 . . Tessies actions are Tessies actions are of the ideal of the ideal wife and mother in the era. wife and mother in the era. She even She even by suggesting that she join by suggesting that she join the Hutchinson family in the final the Hutchinson family in the final lottery drawing. lottery draw

32、ing. At the beginning of the story, the girls stand At the beginning of the story, the girls stand togethertogether watching the boys gather the stones, but as those girls become women, the involvement in marriage and childbearing that the lottery encourages pits them against one anotherpits them ag

33、ainst one another, blinding them to the fact that all power in their community is male. occurs when Tessie turns on her married daughter and attempts to jeopardize her safety.Jackson emphasizes womens turning against one another, too, through her pointed The heinous actions exhibited in groups (such

34、 as the The heinous actions exhibited in groups (such as the stoning of Mrs. Hutchinson) stoning of Mrs. Hutchinson) , for individually such action would be , for individually such action would be deemed deemed When Mrs. Hutchinson arrives at the ceremony late, she When Mrs. Hutchinson arrives at th

35、e ceremony late, she chats sociably with Mrs. Delacroix. Nevertheless, after Mrs. chats sociably with Mrs. Delacroix. Nevertheless, after Mrs. Hutchinson falls victim to the lottery selection, Mrs. Hutchinson falls victim to the lottery selection, Mrs. Delacroix chooses a stone so large that she mus

36、t pick it Delacroix chooses a stone so large that she must pick it up with both hands. up with both hands. ParableMany believe “The Lottery” to be a modern-day parablea story that presents a moral lesson through characters who represent ideas. The focus in a parable is not to develop character or ot

37、her typical plot elements.Youre not told the lesson in a parableyou are to figure out what the lesson is.IronyThere are a number of excellent examples of dramatic irony in the story. The basic idea of the lottery as something, which in our society is generally a good thing, being evil is the chief i

38、rony of the story. This helps to strengthen both the surprise and horror of the story. In addition, it helps to keep the reader from catching onto the basic idea of the story. Situational Irony: Situational Irony: The actual outcome of the situation is the opposite of someones expectationsRemember:

39、Old Man Warner hears that the North village is going to end the lottery and says, Next thing you know, theyll be wanting to go back to living in caves.” How is this ironic? The towns lottery is so barbaric, yet hes worried about going back to caves?Just as important is the irony that is found just o

40、ver halfway through the story. This idea of being uncivilized because they will not perform an act that the reader almost certainly will find uncivilized is vital to the basic idea of the story. the color for , , , in Western civilization. The used to draw lots and the slip of paper with a pointing

41、out the winner are mentioned too frequently to be coincidental. coffin? Evil secret hidden away? on paper: sin? A “black mark” on ones record is negative; black mark: unclean? The Lottery Itself: symbolizes any number of social of social problemsproblems that we blindly continue even though they are

42、 outdated. no specific name/place indicates this is ; the contrast of the town with the ritual are a universal symbol for , and : they indicate a morbid ceremony. now discarded for slips of paper, suggest a , like the ancient sacrificial rituals for crops. Most likely an allusion to Most likely an a

43、llusion to 1591-1643), American religious 1591-1643), American religious enthusiast who founded the Puritan colony of enthusiast who founded the Puritan colony of Rhode Island. She had new theological views which Rhode Island. She had new theological views which opposed her to other ministers. After

44、 a local trial opposed her to other ministers. After a local trial banished her she was tried before the Boston banished her she was tried before the Boston Church and formally excommunicated. Anne and Church and formally excommunicated. Anne and fifteen of her children were subsequently fifteen of

45、her children were subsequently murdered by the Indians in 1643.murdered by the Indians in 1643. The parallelism between her story and Tessies is The parallelism between her story and Tessies is clear: to her, excommunication meant spiritual clear: to her, excommunication meant spiritual death just a

46、s death just as Anti-ritualAnti-ritualAnn HutchinsonAnn Hutchinson held that neither held that neither church nor state was needed to connect a believer church nor state was needed to connect a believer to his or her God. to his or her God. (In the end, Tessie rejects the (In the end, Tessie rejects

47、 the lottery ritual, saying “it isnt right.”) lottery ritual, saying “it isnt right.”) Tessie, diminutive for Theresa, derives from the Tessie, diminutive for Theresa, derives from the Greek Greek theizein,theizein, meaning “ meaning “, or, if the , or, if the nickname is for Anastasia, it will tran

48、slate literally nickname is for Anastasia, it will translate literally “ “. (sacrifice for sins; . (sacrifice for sins; contrast with Delacroix“contrast with Delacroix“of the crossof the cross.”).”) (“(“of-the-Cross”) )vulgarized to Della-croyvulgarized to Della-croy (no longer truly of the (no long

49、er truly of the cross) cross) Some critics suggest that Mrs. Delacroix represents the : she is pleasant and friendly on the outside, but underneath she possesses a degree of savagery. has many connotations (faced with 2 directions); ; to be ; to or to ; ; to , as in crossing ones path; a ; ; To make

50、 or ; To , is earthlyearthly (as opposed to heavenly); blackblack; formed in the process of many years (long-term processlong-term process); formed from compressed, decaying matterdecaying matter; early chemistry used a black spotblack spot to symbolize coal. critics point out how Mr. Summers, who w

51、ould critics point out how Mr. Summers, who would have been one of the wealthier citizens, leads the lottery have been one of the wealthier citizens, leads the lottery : the obvious grave = place of entombment/deathMr. Graves quietly assists Mr. Summers, with Mr. Graves quietly assists Mr. Summers,

52、with “Graves” hinting at a “Graves” hinting at a . .; hints that the lottery may not be a frivolous contest (“Mr. Graves said gravely”)Critics have said that Jackson Critics have said that Jackson to share to share in the responsibilities of the ritual: in the responsibilities of the ritual: Life brings Life brings death, and death recycles life.death, and death recycles life. : While he seems to be one of the few who questions the lottery when he mentions that another village is thinking about g