1. Symbolism the lottery
He still spends his days in "the adolescent pursuit of childhood pleasures" (317). These pleasures include many of the summer activities that most young people enjoy: tennis, golf, baseball, star gazing, canoeing, enjoying iced tea, etc. (317). Homer lives the life of a young person yet something within him is changing. Just as summer is developing into autumn, Homer is also maturing. This is evident when the reader is told what Homer is thinking as he watches Sandra reading through his window. His mind is filled with confused thoughts. He wonders why he is having these feelings and what they mean. Perhaps he also wonders if he should act upon them.
Although Homer's thoughts are becoming more like those of an adult's, he still possesses the innocence of childhood. When Homer has the opportunity to kiss Sandra, he finds that he cannot do it. Updike states that Sandra "received his veiled attentions with a kind of amused curiosity, as if smiling back on innocence" (320). Although Homer is mature enough to recognize the feelings he has for Sandra, he is not yet mature enough to act upon them.
A time of change occurs at the very end of the story. It is the close of summer, the night before the family leaves the lake. While Homer and Sandra are sitting on the .
couch, the dog jumps up, causing Sandra's foot to touch Homer's back. When Homer touches her foot in return, he reaches a turning point in his life. He is finally able to act upon his feelings for Sandra. His struggle with adolescent insecurities is over, just as summer has come to an end.
Alice Walker also uses summertime to symbolize the childhood of Myop, the protagonist of "The Flowers". The story begins with Myop taking a walk to pick flowers on a beautiful summer day. Myop is ten years old and "nothing existed for her but her song, the stick clutched in her dark brown hand, and the tat-de-ta-ta-ta of accompaniment" (Walker 73).
The black box is taken out during summer only and the rest of the year it is put away in one place or another. ... Another clever use of symbolism is in the characters" names themselves. ... Summers conducts the lottery every summer. ... Summers make up the slips ultimately deciding whose "grave" will be next. ... The author's use of symbolism to portray such irrational and absurd behavior shows nothing but ingenuity of a very brilliant mind....
"Symbolism and Plot" Symbolism and plot are different from each other by definition; however, have a relationship towards each other when writing a story. ... Summers which did many things. ... Summers began talking again about a new box, but every year the subject was allowed to fade off without anything"s being done." ... Summers would have more than likely accepted and backed the motion to cease the lottery and stop the sacrifice. ... Symbolism is important in each story to define the plot. ...
In almost every novel there is a form of symbolism. There are a number of instances where symbolism is used in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. ... Another example of this symbol would be at the end of the story when Gatsby is killed, it was the last day of summer. ... These are just a few examples of the symbolism in The Great Gatsby. ... there are many deeper forms of symbolism in the novel which make the reader think and really analyze F. ...
Shirley Jackson uses symbolism in names, objects and even the setting to obscure the meaning and the purpose of the lottery. ... The name Summers is the sir name of the lottery officiate. His name symbolizes the time the lottery is conducted; summer time on June 27. ... Summer often suggests having a new box made but his suggestion goes unanswered because "no one liked to upset even as much has tradition was represented by the black box " (134). ... In conclusion, Jackson use of symbolism is apparent. ...
The author uses symbolism to make us aware of the pointless nature of traditions and how we become comfortable carrying them out. ... Summers" (233). ... Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box"(233), but they did not want it. ... Summers 2 said soberly, "guess we better get started, get this over with, so's we can go back to work" (235). ...
Summers, who runs the lottery and other civic events. Summer is the season of growing, the season of life. ... Summers" name may symbolize life but instead of awarding life to the winner of the lottery he sentences death. ... Summers to make the lottery official. The symbolism in his name is quite apparent; by bringing the black box he is equivocally digging someone's grave. ...
Symbolism is defined as "The practice of representing things by means of symbols or, of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships."" (dictionary) One of the most obvious factors in Kate Chopin's Novel, The Awakening, is symbolism. ... There are many examples of symbolism used throughout the novel. ... "The hot wind beating in my face made me think "without any connection that I can trace of a summer day in Kentucky, of a meadow that seemed as big as the ocean to the very little girl walking through the grass, which was higher than her wais...