He usually uses these stones to kill Tessie Hutchinson. As the story goes, “Bobby Martin had already filled his pockets with rocks, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest rocks; Bobby, Harry Jones, and Dickie Delacroix—the villagers pronounced this name 'Dellacroy'—eventually made a large pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it from incursions by the other boys” (Jackson 127). No one is excluded from this tradition as Tessie's son, little Davy Hutchinson, is also offered stones to help kill his mother. These weapons are crude and demonstrate that violence is fundamental to human nature, even in the hands of children. By the end of the story, it seems that the villagers had forgotten the traditions of the lottery; however, they “still remembered to use stones” for the killing (132). The symbolism of the stones further enhances the story as it is able to connect to the real world and represent the wild essence. Irony in The Lottery Another highly used literary device found in "The Lottery" is irony. The characters seem to have a particular ironic connotation. An example of a character who has an ironic name is Mr. Summers, the man in charge of extracting names from the black box. Mr. Summer's name is associated with a warm and pleasant season, which is usually a happy and festive time. However, it is seen that Mr. Summers is, in fact, tasked with selecting a random citizen who will be senselessly murdered and will be the one to bring death and darkness. Mr. Graces is another character who has an ironic name. Mr. Graves' attitude in taking part in the lottery reflects the significance of the lottery itself. In the story, it says, "He watched as Mr. Graves approached from the side of the box, greeted Mr. Summers gravely, and selected a slip of paper from the box" (130). This situation is obviously inappropriate since it is neither the time nor the place for cordial greetings between friends; someone might be called upon to be killed at the hands of their friends and family. It is Mr. Graves who collects the papers of the family who wrote the piece of paper with the black dot. The story goes that Mr. Graves had selected the five slips of paper and placed them in the box, and dropped all the slips except the ones on the ground where the breeze caught them and lifted them up” (131). Subsequently, Mr. Graves seems to understand the seriousness of the lottery and the harm it does to the person who “wins.” However, he still doesn't seem to want to question the consequences the lottery has on each year and blindly chooses to comply. The irony used in the story helps strengthen the story as it articulates obedience when it is revealed to be doing more harm than good. The names help show how no one chooses to break away from tradition for fear of the consequences that would follow, which further develops the characters' thoughts and actions. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Symbolism and irony are two literary devices that helped develop the short stories “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and “The Lottery.” Through the use of these devices, the author is able to establish an underlying theme and explain the thoughts and actions of the characters. "A Good Man is Hard to Find" implies a struggle between good and evil. Grandma personifies the goodness that can be found in people. The opposite can be said of the Misfit as he represents evil and is unable to empathize with others. “The Lottery” represents a struggle within a community to abandon a long-standing tradition and. 119-127.

Topic > He usually uses these stones to kill Tessie Hutchinson. As the story goes, “Bobby Martin had already filled his pockets with rocks, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest rocks; Bobby, Harry Jones, and Dickie Delacroix—the villagers pronounced this name 'Dellacroy'—eventually made a large pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it from incursions by the other boys” (Jackson 127). No one is excluded from this tradition as Tessie's son, little Davy Hutchinson, is also offered stones to help kill his mother. These weapons are crude and demonstrate that violence is fundamental to human nature, even in the hands of children. By the end of the story, it seems that the villagers had forgotten the traditions of the lottery; however, they “still remembered to use stones” for the killing (132). The symbolism of the stones further enhances the story as it is able to connect to the real world and represent the wild essence. Irony in The Lottery Another highly used literary device found in "The Lottery" is irony. The characters seem to have a particular ironic connotation. An example of a character who has an ironic name is Mr. Summers, the man in charge of extracting names from the black box. Mr. Summer's name is associated with a warm and pleasant season, which is usually a happy and festive time. However, it is seen that Mr. Summers is, in fact, tasked with selecting a random citizen who will be senselessly murdered and will be the one to bring death and darkness. Mr. Graces is another character who has an ironic name. Mr. Graves' attitude in taking part in the lottery reflects the significance of the lottery itself. In the story, it says, "He watched as Mr. Graves approached from the side of the box, greeted Mr. Summers gravely, and selected a slip of paper from the box" (130). This situation is obviously inappropriate since it is neither the time nor the place for cordial greetings between friends; someone might be called upon to be killed at the hands of their friends and family. It is Mr. Graves who collects the papers of the family who wrote the piece of paper with the black dot. The story goes that Mr. Graves had selected the five slips of paper and placed them in the box, and dropped all the slips except the ones on the ground where the breeze caught them and lifted them up” (131). Subsequently, Mr. Graves seems to understand the seriousness of the lottery and the harm it does to the person who “wins.” However, he still doesn't seem to want to question the consequences the lottery has on each year and blindly chooses to comply. The irony used in the story helps strengthen the story as it articulates obedience when it is revealed to be doing more harm than good. The names help show how no one chooses to break away from tradition for fear of the consequences that would follow, which further develops the characters' thoughts and actions. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Symbolism and irony are two literary devices that helped develop the short stories “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and “The Lottery.” Through the use of these devices, the author is able to establish an underlying theme and explain the thoughts and actions of the characters. "A Good Man is Hard to Find" implies a struggle between good and evil. Grandma personifies the goodness that can be found in people. The opposite can be said of the Misfit as he represents evil and is unable to empathize with others. “The Lottery” represents a struggle within a community to abandon a long-standing tradition and. 119-127.