Paper Topic:

` Young Goodman Brown` form book portable literature sixth edition by Kirszner& Mandell and ` The Lottery`

Atmosphere and Allegory in the Loser 's Lottery

Nathaniel Hawthorne 's allegory , Young Goodman Brown ' brings an understanding to the judgment of individuals and the problems surrounding these judgments . Shirley Jackson brings a sense of understanding surrounding mob mentality and the evils of unfounded tradition through her story The Lottery ' She often regarded the story as a moral allegory that revealed the evil that was hidden in the human soul (Charters , 922 . Both stories set up a strong atmosphere that includes symbolism and strong characterization

Symbols are used in each of

the stories to present an emphasis on the theme . The symbols also enhance the awareness that the reader has of these particular themes . Hawthorne chooses to use names and objects as the symbols to emphasize the theme . The names Young Goodman Brown and Faith present an immediate understanding that these are supposed to be the good individuals that have strong moral and ethical behavior . The name Faith is easily connected to the idea of consistency and Christian beliefs . Hawthorne makes this even more obvious by writing "And Faith , as the wife was aptly named (211

While the vast majority of Hawthorne 's chosen symbols describe religion both good and evil , Jackson 's symbols focus on the tone of the society as a whole . Jackson 's character , Mr . Graves , needs very little explanation . As a key member of the lottery it is clear that he is the decider of death , though the lottery is supposed to promote life . This understanding is presented in the character Mr . Summers , though the immediate complications are clear . In the symbolism we can see that there is a split between the constant prosperity that the lottery is supposed to continue , and the actual end of life that the lottery truly causes . In this way we understand that the lottery is not truly a way to reach the desired conclusion , but instead a cover for the corrupt traditions of the society . There are many other symbols within the stories , but the most important have been shared to give an understanding of the way that symbolism is used . Is short , the stories each share names , objects , and actions that serve as necessary symbols of the allegory

Although symbolism is a clear source of understanding both of the stories , there is also much to be learned from the atmosphere that is shown . Jackson establishes a sense of ease by bringing the reader into a sunny summer day . The sense of prosperity is clear , even from the beginning , through language that is offered . This atmosphere is important because it makes the day familiar and close . The reader is not required to do an extensive amount of work to develop an image of the environment and internalize the atmosphere of the story . The actual event that the story is focused on is full of ambiguity . There is the idea of this wonderful summer full of health and vitality , but also the realization that there is death and finality . This complication...

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