Jackson’s "The Lottery" as an Allegory Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery" is an excellent example of an allegorical short story. In this story, the reader learns of a town’s "lottery" that takes place once a year, every year. It has been a tradition in this small rural town for many years and the villagers never question these activities, they just blindly go along with it. But what the reader doesn’t know is …showed first 75 words of 574 total…

…showed last 75 words of 574 total…use stones." (238) The tradition is so old that all they care about is stoning the victim without thinking about how evil the tradition really is. "The Lottery" is very allegorical in every sense. After reading this short story the reader is forced to think about traditions and the inhuman quality of the village. Death is represented over and over again throughout the story. Jackson’s effective use of symbolism helps depict death in every way.