Symbolism in The lottery by Shirley Jackson

English 112 Short Paper #2: Symbols in Stories Due Date: Wednesday, April 16th @ 5:30p Do not use Dracula from the list below. A symbol is: “a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract” For example: “the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxlimousine was another symbol of his wealth and authority” (The Oxford English Dictionary) “Symbolism [in literature] is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.” (LiteraryDevices.net) Your second paper assignment is to focus on a symbol in one of the short stories or poems we have read so far in class. This symbol should be something concrete (ie. the rocks in “The Lottery”, the shoeboxes in “Ex-Girlfriends”, or the crucifix in Dracula), and your goal is to do the following: •Explain the symbol’s denotation (its literal meaning) ◦For example: a dog is by definition an mammal belonging to the canine species, typically kept as a domesticated pet •Explain the symbol’s connotative properties (the cultural associations that come with that symbol; make sure to consider various viewpoints and associations) ◦For example: dogs often represent loyalty and companionship or, in other instances, scavengers or denoting low status or low opinion of one’s appearance or behavior •Explain to your reader where this symbol is used in the literary work ◦Where are dogs mentioned in the literary work? In what context were dogs mentioned? •Explain what an understanding of all the above things contributes to a greater understanding of the literary work as a whole ◦How does an understanding of the definition and cultural connotations about dogs, as well as how dogs are used in the text contribute to a greater understanding of the literary work? Make sure you are focusing on a symbol that truly has greater meaning and that you have the ability to write a great deal about. For example, while it is absolutely possible that Tessie Hutchinson’s dishes in “The Lottery” have greater symbolic significance, there is only one mention of them in the story. A greater focus would be on the rocks, the black box, or the scraps of paper in “The Lottery”, which are mentioned more often in the story and that have greater symbolic meaning. Focus in on repeated nouns in a text; chances are, if an author repeats a certain noun (a person, place, thing, or idea) throughout the literary work, he or she is trying to place a higher level of significance on it. Any and all of the poems and stories that have been assigned are fair game for this assignment; in addition to the poems specified on the first short paper assignment sheet, here are the short stories we have read for class: “Orientation”, “Girl”, “The Lottery”, “The Man in the Well”, “A Visit of Charity”, and “The Use of Force”. Feel free to also use Dracula, though if you intend to write about this novel for your final paper, you will want to finish the entire novel. You MAY write about the same poem you wrote about in paper 1, though make sure you are saying something NEW about the literary work and not just repeating your first paper. Make sure you analyze areas of the text that describe/mention/use this symbol as well as areas of the text that are affected by this symbol. While you do want to quote lines from the literary work and analyze these lines, make sure the bulk of your writing is your own, and make sure you are not just summarizing the literary work (aka repeating the general plot of the story/poem) but that you are interpreting the literary work (inserting your own opinion as to what it means). A good way to check this is to ask yourself: “can this portion of my essay be written by anyone who has read this literary work, or is this exclusive to my own viewpoint?” When using outside source material (the poem itself as well as any sources used for research about your symbol do count as “outside” sources), make sure you are citing using the proper MLA standards and including a Works Cited page (even if the only work you are citing is the poem or story you are writing about). Please consult the Purdue OWL for help with citation: https://owl(dot)english(dot)purdue(dot)edu/owl/resource/747/01/ The formatting for this paper is as follows: at least 600 words, double-spaced, with 12 point standard fonts (Times New Roman, Garamond, Arial, etc.), and standard 1 inch margins on all sides. Your name should be on every page. Remember to use spell check and grammar check before turning anything in. Reading aloud yourself, or having a friend (or writing tutor!) read your paper aloud is a fantastic way to catch small errors and edit for clarity. **If you go to the PIER Tutoring Center and have your paper looked at by a writing tutor, make sure you get a “Proof of Visit” form signed by the tutor you work with and attach it with your final copy. Do this and I will add 5 extra credit points towards your total grade for the assignment.** Guidelines for paper submission: You will submit this paper via Blackboard, through the Assignments Tab. Here are instructions for doing so: 1.Log into MyNova, open Blackboard and click into our class Blackboard page (ENG 112 Sec 055W) 2.Go to the Assignments tab on the lefthand menu 3.Click on the Short Paper #2 Assignment link 4.Scroll down until you see Assignment Submission and click Browse My Computer to attach a file as your submission 5.Select your saved paper file and click the Submit button to upload your paper (Please note that if you click “Save as Draft”, I will not be able to view your paper) .