Literary Concepts
Repeated use of the word "ritual" in The Lottery.
diction
What household task does Ann complete while she is alone before Steven arrives?
She paints the door.
Whose house will be destroyed by the gang?
Old Misery's
What symbolizes tradition and resistance to change in the story?
The houses in the neighborhood
What object symbolizes the community's tradition?
The black box
The reference to "Wren" in The Destructors.
allusion
What evidence at the end of the story reveals that John returned home during the night?
Paint on his hand.
Whether or not to let T. become leader.
What type of conflict drives the story's central dispute between Mrs. Fullerton and the neighborhood?
Character vs. society
What object symbolizes the villagers' participation in the ritual?
The lottery slips
The repeated references to the cold in The Painted Door.
Symbolism or pathetic fallacy.
Explain symbolically why the terrible storm throughout the story changes, and near the end is described thus: "Its terror blast became a feeble, wornout moan."
It represents the resolution of Ann's conflict.
What object symbolizes pre-war culture and tradition?
The house
What recurring element symbolizes suburban conformity and modernization?
Development
What recurring action serves as a motif of unquestioned tradition?
The lottery itself
When the author uses the word "parry" to describe how Ann is conflicted about having an affair with Steven, what kind of metaphor is being used?
war/battle metaphor
Explain the significance of Delacroix's name.
It's ironic that the woman whose name represents Christianity, behaves in an opposite manner.
What event serves as the backdrop to the story?
The German Blitz of WWII
Who becomes Mrs. Fullerton's primary defender?
Mary
What object alludes to Biblical moral teachings?
The stones
What is the metaphor in this excerpt from The Shining Houses, and what is it referring to?
"...they plan a community - saying that word as if they found a modern and well-proportioned magic in it, and no possibility anywhere of a mistake"
magic - referring to the word "community"
Old Man Warner's name's significance?
Old Man = tradition
Warner = Moral judgment or 'warning'
What symbol of wealth does Trevor destroy to show his rejection of conventional values?
the money
Motif symbolizing the natural world that Mrs. F values?
Her garden
(ironic - summer is positive; his role is sinister)