This short essay will analyze Shirley Jackson's depiction of violence in the lottery. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The late 1940s were a great time to live, it had simple connections that made each day brighter. Dancing teenagers, playful children and chattering women filled the town, all waiting for this little black box that was the penny of their tradition. Throughout The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses tone and symbolism to illustrate acts of violence. As the story begins, the town's children are playing and the adults are all gathered together to talk harmlessly to each other. Jackson describes the children "engaging in noisy play" and "filling their pockets with rocks", which shows that the children are having a wonderful, carefree time. At the same time, the men in the story "talk about the veneer and the rain" while "scrutinizing their own children" as they waited for the women to come and stand with them before the big town meeting. It seems that everything is fine in the city, they are all worried inside. However, the town keeps its poker face to show that all families are thriving. The town gathered around the square when Mr. Summers entered it. He was a man “who had time and energy to devote to civic activities” and he “carried the black wooden box.” The black wooden box is a symbol of the life of the people of this city. "The black box has become more and more shabby every year", people's lives are getting worse every year with the lottery, like the black box that cannot be renewed. At the end of the story, the author uses the tone of intensity to demonstrate the beginning of the violence. Nancy was part of the chosen family "and her classmates were breathing hard as they moved forward" because they didn't want her to get hurt. Luckily for them, she wasn't chosen in the lottery, but her mother Tessie was. Tessie was “out of breath” when the violence or lottery started. Then, as she did so, she let out one last intense scream before 'they were on her'. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, in The Lottery, Jackson demonstrates acts of violence through tone and symbolism. Instead of writing about the violent stonings that occurred in the city, he used the tone to show the nerves of the people and how nervous they were. The symbolism of the box is the part of their life that they don't want to see all the time but they have to use it once a year, but each year is worse than the last. The story ends with Tessie begging for mercy and claiming that the lottery isn't fair. The reader can conclude that she was stoned by her neighbors, friends and family..