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Fiction Essay - Young Goodman Brown and the Lottery

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FICTION ESSAY

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OUTLINE

I. THESIS:
A thorough analysis of Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” reveals that different literary elements, such as tone and setting, are used to convey the characters’ arrival at dark, sinister places. II. INTRODUCTION III. SHIRLEY JACKSON’S “THE LOTTERY” A. Setting the tone: Peaceful and relaxing B. Irony: Even though the mood is relaxing, there is a premonition of something bad to come C. Ending: The ending is implied IV. NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE’S “YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN” D. Setting the tone: feeling of something evil to come E. Symbolism i. Faith – the wife and commitment to Jesus ii. Venture in to the forest – Journey of life iii. Traveler’s staff – Satan in the Garden of Eden F. Ending: Was it real or was it a dream? V. CONCLUSION

A thorough analysis of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” reveals that different literary elements, such as tone and setting, are used to convey the characters’ arrival at dark, sinister places. Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” are two short stories that use completely opposite ways to get to the same destination: a dark, sinister place. Both stories are very dark, and almost morbid, but one story keeps the reader oblivious to the tragic event that is being set up, while the other story lays it out very plainly and clearly for the reader to feel from the start.
In “The Lottery,” Jackson generates a feeling of peace and ease. The stage is set like a casual summer day of shopping. Jackson’s tone and artistic attention to detail gives the reader an unguarded, peaceful, relaxing feeling. However, even with a relaxed feeling, the reader may start to develop a premonition that this is not just a normal, casual summer day. Jackson drops small subtle hints, such as when she tells of the town’s main gathering, where men are telling quiet jokes rather than being loud and laughing boisterously.
Next comes another building block with Jackson’s serene structure as she associates the postmaster with conducting normal, “easy-as-pie” events such as square dancing, holiday programs, or teenage activities. An example of this is when Mr. Summers says “Guess we better get started, get this over with so we can get back to work.” (Jackson, 1948) He seems to say this very nonchalantly. Irony saturates the setting as the author meticulously examines the details of how the lottery is conducted; even the original lottery paraphernalia - the black box from which lots are drawn to substituting paper for wood chips, all the while neglecting, as if unimportant, the lottery winnings.
The lottery begins with an alphabetical roll call. During this roll call, the participants’ casual observations between each other seem, in hindsight to the reader, morbidly detached. For example, when the name Hutchinson is called, his wife, Mrs. Hutchinson says “Get up there, Bill.” The people near her laughed.” (Jackson, 1948)
Overall, we see that “The Lottery” is casual about the sinister, and the monstrous is accepted as normal. This is a story that finishes in your head, rather than on paper. It doesn’t get more ironic than that.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” quickly involves the reader with dialogue between Goodman Brown and his wife Faith. The reader does not know what his trip is about, why it must be done, or what the story holds. Maybe it is all symbolic of the story of life. But “with excellent resolve for the future,” as many good intentions have, Goodman justifies his departure towards a purpose the reader is warned as “evil.”
In contrast to Jackson’s “The Lottery,” the tone and feeling of darkness is set almost immediately. Hawthorne’s style makes it easy for his readers to join the world of this story. The reader may actually begin to care about Goodman and then accompanies him even as he is joined on his journey by the strange and unsettling “grave” man.
Hawthorne also uses a lot of symbolism in his story. For example, Faith, the name of his wife, represents the love of his life and also his commitment to Jesus. Additionally, the symbolism of his journey into the forest can represent the journey of life. This symbolism builds with the motif of “deep into the forest,” which represents chaos, danger, and the unconscious mind. Further symbolism can be drawn from the second traveler’s staff, not only being a staff, but also bearing the likeness to a snake, the symbol of Satan in the Garden of Eden.
The dialogue between the two travelers continues in a tone that, while friendly, somehow suggests a secretive and dangerous hidden agenda. As the two travelers part, and the elder traveler meets the old dame, strange escalates into supernatural. The old dame addresses the male traveler as “your worship,” and takes his staff which “perhaps assumes life.” As they continue, the elder traveler, now clearly evil, encourages Goodman to go further down this path into literal and spiritual darkness. Finally Goodman stops and refuses to go further into the darkness. This represents his struggle for faith and against evil.
In his struggle, Young Goodman Brown loses Faith and becomes like the devil he tried to resist. At the hellish cathedral in the darkness, satanic affirmations of faith proclaim “evil is the nature of mankind.” At this point, the power of secret guilt and unconfessed sin bind the congregation as Faith and Goodman fight conversion. When morning comes, Goodman has a whole new outlook on life and the people of his village. He will never be at peace again.
Both stories end a bit mysteriously. Just as “The Lottery” never really finishes on paper, “Young Goodman Brown” could either be a reality to Goodman, or it could have been just a dream. Both stories draw the reader in, making them wonder what is next to come, but the overall feeling as the stories are being read is completely different.

REFERENCES:
Hawthorne, N. (1835). Young Goodman Brown. In Kennedy, X.J., & Gioia, D. (Sixth Edition). Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. (pp. 213-218). Boston: Longman Jackson, S. (1948). The Lottery. In Kennedy, X.J., & Gioia, D. (Sixth Edition). Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. (pp. 213-218). Boston: Longman

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