The Lottery, Revealing the Secrets Among the many intriguing varieties of literary methods used to write most short stories, the author of The Lottery, Shirley Jackson, uses symbolism, allegory and plot to make this story stand out. Among many literary methods of writing, Jackson used symbolism and allegory to his advantage. The Merriam-Webster dictionary classifies symbolism as “the particular idea or quality expressed by a symbol” and allegory as “a story in which the characters and events are symbols representing ideas about human life or a political or historical situation ”. . Jackson also sets up his story with a broad and surprising message that takes the reader by surprise. The Merriam-Webster dictionary also lists plot as "a series of events that form the story in a novel, film, etc." The combination of these methods helps the reader understand the story, meaning, and meaning. Shirley Jackson uses symbolism, allegory, and plot to illustrate a theme of true human nature in The Lottery. Symbolism plays a significant role, represented in The Lottery by people and objects. For example, the meaning of the black box in the story is profound but simple. It is important to note here that the box is listed in the story as aged, neglected, and with faded black paint. Because of these characteristics and the fact that the box was built from the remains of ships from the past, it represents many things. In literary criticism it is noted that, as a complete unit, the box represents tradition, which has been allowed to become unwieldy, meaningless, and indefensible. Beyond this, there are additional sources of symbolism in baby names. While the realm of symbolism is explored, it is... middle of paper... almost seventy years ago, many of the issues are still true today. Many people still feel disgusted by literature and other media that paint a clear picture of society. Overall, The Lottery is a very simple, yet multifaceted selection of literature with much to offer society. Works Cited Du Bose, Thomas. "The lottery." Masterplots, fourth edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center Plus. Network. February 25, 2014. Evans, Robert C. "The Lottery." Short Fiction: A Critical Companion (1997): 112-119. Literary Reference Center Plus. Network. February 25, 2014. Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell. "Symbol, allegory and myth". Compact literature. Eighth edition ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2013. 403-408 415-420. Print.Nebeker, Helen E. "The Lottery": Symbolic Tour De Force." American Literature 46.1 (1974): 100. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. February 25. 2014.