Just read it; appalled by it; saw little literary merit despite reading several reviews. Picked up the following, which suggests, in my humble opinion, literary snobbery as a possible reason for its fame (or notoriety):
Fritz Oehlshlaeger, in "The Stoning of Mistress Hutchinson Meaning of Context in 'The Lottery'" (Essays in Literature, 1988), wrote:
The name of Jackson's victim links her to Anne Hutchinson, whose Antinomian beliefs, found to be heretical by the Puritan hierarchy, resulted in her banishment from Massachusetts in 1638. While Tessie Hutchinson is no spiritual rebel, to be sure, Jackson's allusion to Anne Hutchinson reinforces her suggestions of a rebellion lurking within the women of her imaginary village. Since Tessie Hutchinson is the protagonist of "The Lottery", there is every indication that her name is indeed an allusion to Anne Hutchinson, the American religious dissenter. She was excommunicated despite an unfair trial, while Tessie questions the tradition and correctness of the lottery as well as her humble status as a wife. It might as well be this insubordination that leads to her selection by the lottery and stoning by the angry mob of villagers.
Each to his (or her) own, I guess. Perhaps the key to success is to shock: I can do that.
Interesting, Roy. I actually really admire the craft of "The Lottery" -- I also do like the social commentary that suggests we should not blindly adhere to tradition for tradition's sake . . .
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you, though, that sometimes a particular piece of literature becomes part of the literary canon for reasons other than literary merit -- including the reputation of the writer. One of the most snobbish writers (in my humble opinion) is T.S. Eliot and his fascist buddy Ezra Pound. . . But that's just crass ole' American me. . .
I should have explained why I didn't like it.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I thought it contained what we now call "gratuitous violence". I think there are more appropriate ways of telling a story to demonstrate that "we should not blindly adhere to tradition for tradition's sake" than having a woman stoned to death. 'The punishment (story) does not fit the crime 'tradition'.
Technically, there were too many names and unnecessary characters in the story; no clear 'protagonist' revealed until the end; and no clear problem to be overcome (which perhaps says more about 'the formula' than this story).
Yes, well, sometimes our "traditional" values can lead to rather extreme behaviors. I can think of numerous examples, one of which includes a rampage of constitutional amendments protecting the institution of marriage from people like me;>)Jim Crow laws is another example which immediately comes to mind. So I don't think the violence is gratuitous at all. But that' just my take on the story.
ReplyDeleteGreat comments about the lack of traditional structure in the story -- perhaps this is an example of structure reinforcing theme? Could Jackson have consciously broken traditional expectations of formula in short fiction to illustrate her theme? Or am I perhaps just another English teacher over analyzing and taking the joy right out of a story?
Taking the joy right out of a story about a woman being stoned? Perhaps I'm too sensitive to the real horror stories of women being stoned to death for no real reason coming out of the Middle East. You and I would both be dead by now if that's where we had lived.
ReplyDeletePlus, I might be just another smartass student winding up the teacher at every opportunity?
Oh dear. I'm just not even smart enuf to be engaged in this conversation although I DID read "The Lottery." (So what's a forty??) Just as I did not know that, I did not know who Anne Hutchinson was so could never have ferreted out the symbolism there. Since I cheered, flirted, dated my way through high school & 2 yrs. of college, I find myself woefully lacking at this age/stage of my life & must have missed an awful lot of good stuff. So much to learn/so little time!
ReplyDeleteI do agree w/ Kim's comments re outdated/arcane rules/regs that have no real practical basis--it's how it's always been. I think organized religion is also guilty of hanging on to outdated customs & distortions--but I guess we're s'posed to steer away from such weighty subjects in this setting.