Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay

While in both stories, the black lottery box as an antagonist is the pusher of set traditions which encourages ignorance and prejudice undermining family and community links. "The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool" (Jackson, p. The black box is placed on a stool in front of the villagers who are fearful and hesitance to approach the black box. The invisible power of the black box and the helplessness of the villages is exemplified by John the antagonist and his wife the narrator in the Yellow Wallpaper. John a physician wields power over his wife whom he (John) diagnosed with "temporary nervous depression- a slight hysterical tendency (Gilman, p. However I think that Tess did not have a choice in the matter as the whole village including her family stoned her to death.