Literary Analysis of "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson Through the Marxism Lenses

Introduction

When a government rules freely over the public, traditions develop in the minds of the working class. As stated by Cuddon, Marxist criticism is a “primarily concern with economic, political and philosophical issues” that explains a “capitalist theory and mode production” (Cuddon 527). In other words, Marxism is known to be a conflict between the rich and the poor over who owns the right to products made to ensure equality to everyone. By performing a literary analysis of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, through the Marxism lenses, thie essay reveals the dangers that society faces when influenced by social class.

Literary Analysis of “The Lottery” 

The first reference of social class is demonstrated by alluding to the setting. The narrator of the story states, “The people in the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank” (Jackson 263). The setting correlates to Marxism by referencing the post office, which would represent the political spectrum while the bank signifies the economy. The narrator also mentions that the boys from the town gathered the rocks and pilled them in the corner of the square. It is revealing that the townspeople are the working class under the ruling of the wealthy.

Two characters make up the wealthy class, first being Mr. Summers. The narrator mentions, “The lottery was conducted… by Mr. Summers, who had time and energy to devote to civic activities… and he ran the coal business” (Jackson 263). We see here that Mr. Summers has the time to relax and is not considered as the working class. He is the one who sets up and hosts the lottery. The second character who is not classified as the working class but has more trust from Mr. Summers is Mr. Graves according to the narrator, “Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves made up the slips of paper and put them in the box…” (Jackson 264). Not only is Mr. Graves the helper to conduct the lottery, but he is also “the postmaster” in which he oversees all mail that comes in and out of the village. Also, he has control of the communication system in the town. Both characters dedicated their time to set up the murderous ritual without the help of the villagers.

The working class must do the traditions set in the village by the high ranking class. As stated by the narrator, “Just as Mr. Summers finally left off talking and turned to the assembled villagers, Mrs. Hutchinson came hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater thrown over her shoulders, and slid into place in the back of the crowd” (Jackson 265). This demonstrates that the villagers, including Mrs. Hutchinson, broke their daily routine to be apart of the event that hosted yearly by the “tyrannical government.” Everyone who participates in this murderous act is blind by the horrid traditions established by the higher upper class. In the Marxism theory, “false consciousness” often refers to the higher class dominating over, the lower class leading them not to be aware of the harsh reality. The villagers are obedient to those in power through the lottery, in which the narrator states, “A sudden hush fell on the crowd as Mr. Summers cleared his throat and looked at the list” (Jackson 265).

Conclusion

In analyzing Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery' through the lens of Marxism, it becomes evident that social class plays a significant role in shaping the dangers that society faces. The story's setting, with its reference to the post office and the bank, alludes to the political and economic spheres that define social hierarchy. The wealthy class, represented by characters like Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves, holds power and control over the working class, who are obligated to participate in the ritualistic traditions established by those in authority.

The villagers, blinded by what Marxists refer to as 'false consciousness,' obediently engage in the yearly lottery, unaware of the true consequences and implications of their actions. The pressure exerted by the higher social class compels them to conform, even if it means perpetuating a system that ultimately harms their own community.