THE IDEA OF POSTMODERNISM AS SEEN THROUGH THE · gratitude to all the lecturers of English Letters...

i

THE IDEA OF POSTMODERNISM AS SEEN THROUGH THE

CHARACTERS’ ATTITUDES IN SHIRLEY JACKSON’S THE

LOTTERY

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

JELITO RAHADIAN DE DEUS SORIANO

Student number: 114214066

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2017

PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

ii


CHARACTERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LOTTERY IN

SHIRLEY JACKSON’S “THE LOTTERY”

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

JELITO RAHADIAN DE DEUS SORIANO

Student number: 114214066

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2017


v

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY

I certify that this undergraduate thesis contains no material which has been

previously submitted for the award of any other degree at any university, and that,

to the best of my knowledge, this undergraduate thesis contains no material

previously written by any other person except where due reference is made in the

text of the undergraduate thesis.

Yogyakarta, January 18, 2017

Jelito Rahadian De Deus Soriano


vi

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH

UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yand bertanda tangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma

Nama : Jelito Rahadian De Deus Soriano

Nomor Mahasiswa : 114214066

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan

Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:


CHARACTERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LOTTERY IN

SHIRLEY JACKSON’S “THE LOTTERY”

Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan

kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan,

mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan

data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau

media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada saya

maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya

sebagai penulis.

Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.

Dibuat di Yogyakarta

Pada tanggal 18 Januari 2017

Yang menyatakan,

Jelito Rahadian De Deus Soriano


vii

I have not come this far

to give up now


viii

For

My Beloved Family


ix

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This page is dedicated to those who helped me and supported me in the

process of writing this thesis. First of all, I would like to thank God for His

blessing and guidance. This Undergraduate Thesis would have never been done

without His help.

Second, I thank my thesis Advisor, Elisa Dwi Wardani S.S., M.Hum., for

her patience in guiding me writing this thesis and for suggestions that were really

valuable. I would also like to thank Elisabeth Arti Wulandari S.S., M.A., the co-

advisor, for her advice to help me finish my thesis. I would like to express my

gratitude to all the lecturers of English Letters and the staffs for their support and

guidance they give since the first time I entered English Letters Department.

In this opportunity, my sincere gratitude goes to my family, Bapa, Mama,

Arsa, Belinda, and the big families of Soriano, for their endless pray and support.

A special thank goes to my grandma and my uncle for telling me a lot of valuable

lessons. I also thank all my friends who had been supporting me to finish my

undergraduate thesis.

JelitoRahadian De Deus Soriano


x

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ....................................................................................................... ii

APPROVAL PAGE ............................................................................................. iii

ACCEPTANCE PAGE ........................................................................................ iv

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ............................. v STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ................................................................... vi

MOTTO PAGE ................................................................................................... vii

DEDICATION PAGE ........................................................................................ viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................. ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................... x

ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... xi

ABSTRAK ........................................................................................................... xii

CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 1

A. Background of the Study ............................................................................. 1

B. Problem Formulation .................................................................................. 3

C. Objectives of the Study ............................................................................... 4

D. Definition of Terms ..................................................................................... 4

CHAPTER II : REVIEW OF LITERATURE ................................................... 7

A. Review of Related Studies ......................................................................... 7

B. Review of Related Theories ....................................................................... 8

C. Theoretical Framework ............................................................................ 15

CHAPTER III : METHODOLOGY ................................................................ 17

A. Object of the Study ................................................................................... 17

B. Approach of the Study ............................................................................. 17

C. Method of the Study .................................................................................. 18

CHAPTER IV : ANALYSIS ............................................................................. 20

A. The Plot of the Lottery ............................................................................. 20

B. The Attitudes of the Characters toward the Lottery reflected .......................

from the Plot ............................................................................................. 25

C. The Idea of Postmodernism as seen through the Characters’ Attitudes.... 34

CHAPTER V : CONCLUSION ........................................................................ 48

BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................. 51


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ABSTRACT

JELITO RAHADIAN DE DEUS SORIANO. The Idea of Postmodernism as

seen through the Characters’ Attitudes toward the Lottery in Shirley

Jackson’s “The Lottery”. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of

Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2016.

Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” describes a small community

whose old-time tradition prescribes them to choose one among them for the sake

of sacrificial offering to guarantee big harvest. This tradition makes them do

violence and brutality toward the winner of the lottery ritual because they still

believe that it will bring happiness.

There are three problems formulated as the basis of the research. The first

problem is about how the plot is revealed in the story. The second problem is

about how the characters’ attitude toward the lottery drawing is reflected from the

plot. The third problem is about the idea of postmodernism as seen through the

characters’ attitude.

The writing of this undergraduate thesis uses library research to compile

data and analyze them. The data were collected through books, magazines, and

web-based articles. The approach which was used in the research is moral

philosophical approach. This approach was used to reveal the characters’ attitude

toward the tradition along with the idea of postmodernism which can be seen from

the characters’ attitude.

The analyses are as follows: the plot of “The Lottery” reveals the initial

situation or the exposition, conflict, climax, suspension, and conclusion. Plot

reveals the actions of the characters through what the characters think and feel;

therefore, the characters attitude can be drawn based on the plot. Faithful is shown

in the characters’ attitude. People in the village really enjoy doing the lottery as

the tradition even if they should kill the one who gets the lot. They believe that the

lottery will bring a big harvest. Old Man Warner shows his anger because some

people talk about giving up the lottery. Old Man Warner believes that tradition is

the only way to gain happiness. Mrs. Hutchinson is also one of the characters who

show the excitement toward the perpetuation of the tradition. Ironically, she ends

up as a winner in the lottery. As a winner she should be stoned by everyone in that

village including her family. The characters’ attitude toward the lottery believes

that the lottery is the only way to gain happiness. Therefore, it can be concluded

that the characters’ attitudes which manifest in their practice, reflects the ideas of

postmodernism.


xii

ABSTRAK

JELITO RAHADIAN DE DEUS SORIANO. The Idea of Postmodernism as

seen through the Characters’ Attitudes toward the Lottery in Shirley

Jackson’s “The Lottery”. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of

Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2016.

Cerita pendek karangan Shirley Jackson berjudul “The Lottery”

mendeskripsikan komunitas kecil di mana sebuah tradisi lama menentukan

mereka untuk memilih salah satu dari masyarakat demi tumbal pengorbanan untuk

memastikan panen melimpah. Tradisi ini membuat mereka melakukan kekerasan

dan tindakan kejam terhadap pemenang ritual karena mereka percaya bahwa

tradisi tersebut dapat memberikan kebahagiaan.

Ada tiga rumusan masalah yang disusun sebagai landasan penelitian.

Pertama tentang bagaimana jalan cerita diungkap dalam cerita. Kedua tentang

bagaimana sikap tokoh-tokoh terhadap penarikan undian yang terungkap di jalan

cerita. Ketiga tentang gagasan postmodernisme dilihat melalui sikap tokoh-tokoh.

Penulisan skripsi ini menggunakan studi pustaka untuk mengumpulkan

data dan menganalisanya. Sumber data tersebut adalah buku-buku, majalah, dan

artikel-artikel internet. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian adalah

moral-filosofi. Pendekatan ini digunakan untuk mengungkapkan sikap tokoh-

tokoh terhadap tradisi bersamaan dengan gagasan postmodernisme yang mana

dapat dilihat dari sikap tokoh-tokoh cerita.

Temuan pembahasannya adalah: jalan cerita dari “The Lottery” adalah

eksposisi, konflik, puncak permasalahan, suspansi, dan kesimpulan. Terungkap

aksi dari tokoh-tokoh melalui cara berpikir dan berperasaan, oleh karena itu, sikap

dari tokoh-tokoh dapat direalisasikan berdasarkan jalan cerita. Keramah-tamahan

dan kegirangan ditunjukan oleh sikap dari tokoh-tokoh. Orang-orang di desa itu

sangat menikmati undian sebagai tradisi walaupun mereka harus membunuh

sesama. Mereka percaya bahwa undian ini dapat menghasilkan panen besar. Old

Man Warner menunjukan kemarahanya karena beberapa orang mengatakan untuk

berhenti melakukan undian. Old Man Warner percaya hanya tradisilah cara untuk

memperoleh kebahagiaan. Mrs. Hutchinson juga adalah satu dari tokoh-tokoh

yang juga menunjukan rasa kegirangan terhadap terselenggaranya tradisi.

Ironisnya, dia menjadi pemenang dalam undian. Sebagai pemenang ia harus

dilempari batu oleh semua orang di desa termasuk keluarganya. Tokoh-tokoh

terhadap masih mempercayai bahwa undian adalah salah-satunya cara untuk

memperoleh kebahagiaan. Maka, dapat disimpulkan bahwa sikap tokoh-tokoh,

yang terwujud dalam praktiknya, merefleksikan gagasan-gagasan posmodernisme.


1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

As a human being, we believe in certain values in this world. Modern people

might not believe in that kind of superstition anymore. They only believe in

progress or reason to prove their judgment. This idea comes from modernist

people who introduced us to their Enlightenment. It is believed that Enlightenment

has “opened the prospect of progress toward a life in this world of universal peace

and happiness” (Abrams, 1985:52). Modernists try to gain their happiness through

reason to solve the crucial problems and to establish the essential norms in life. It

makes the tradition and superstitions fall apart.

In 1960s a new concept questioning modernism emerged, as pointed out by

Sarup that “it has probably emerged as a specific reaction against the established

forms of high modernism” (Sarup, 1993:131). This situation led philosophers like

Lyotard, Lacan, and Foucault to propose what they called postmodernism. “The

era of postmodernity comes after modernity, and it refers to the incipient or actual

dissolution of those social forms associated with modernity” (Sarup, 1993:30). It

means that postmodernism comes after modernism. The idea of postmodernism

spread out through the world. It is now adapted into a lot of fields and studies, like

literature.


2

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson becomes a famous short story after it is

published in 1948. The lottery tells about the tradition which is being held by the

people on that village to gain happiness. The people of the story still believe that

human sacrifice will bring a big harvest at that time. Sacrificing a human’s life

becomes the ritual tradition which is held every summer. Summer is supposed to

be a beautiful season when flowers are blossoming and the green grass is totally

colorful. However, in the lottery, summer becomes a time for death and killing

neighbors.

The lottery talks about how tradition becomes the main concern of the most

people in that village. The lottery as a tradition is so cruel because every summer

someone’s life should be sacrificed and the murderers are his/her own neighbors.

The writer wants to show that some tradition like the lottery is a kind of ritual

which is still believed by human beings. This belief is based on people’s belief

that is made by the society. The villagers in the story only can think that big

harvest may happen if they could sacrifice someone in the lottery. They create the

lottery because people in that village want to bring a big harvest to the village.

They also find that they cannot use their knowledge to achieve their goal, so that

they perpetuate the tradition.

Considering the nature of postmodernism and characters’ attitudes in the

story, it is assumed that the idea of postmodernism fit on the way the character’s

attitudes from the characters as the object of the study. The plot of the story will

show how the people react to the lottery. The tradition which is held by people in


3

that village sees that the lottery is the only way to solve the problems. That is why

the term of postmodernism is used by the writer of the thesis.

Jackson’s “The Lottery” is chosen because the characters’ attitudes from the

story show the idea of postmodernism itself which is really interesting to analyze.

The way people think about the lottery is extremely far from being humane. The

characters’ attitudes in the lottery are the main concern of the writer. Besides of

thesis, the writer also focused on the idea of postmodernism as seen through the

characters’ attitudes toward the lottery.

B. Problem Formulation

In relation with the explanations above there are three problems to discuss.

1. How is the plot revealed in the story?

2. How are the characters’ attitudes toward the lottery drawing reflected

from the plot?

3. What are the ideas of postmodernism as seen through the characters’

attitudes?

C. Objectives of the Study

Based on the problem formulations that have been mentioned, the objectives

of study are represented as follows.

The undergraduate thesis has a purpose to show that the characters’ attitudes

can reflect the idea of posmodernism. That is why it is important to make problem

formulation for answering the questions.


4

The plot from the story is the first point to know. The plot must be understood

to know the basic concept in order to find out each attitude from the characters

that might be the concept of postmodernism.

The point of view from all the characters in the story has different ideas that

make the idea of postmodernism comes up. The attitudes from the characters can

be seen from before, during, and after the lottery drawing after analyzing the plots

from the story. Based on those, the characters show their attitudes toward the

tradition. It becomes the concept that creates the idea of Postmodernism.

After mapping all those things, the writer has some ideas from the characters’

attitudes that become the concept of Postmodernism’s idea. This is where the idea

of Postmodernism rises. That is how the writer of this thesis answers the

questions.

D. Definition of Terms

As stated in the tittle and explored in the above explanation, the writer wants

to clarify some terms used in this undergraduate thesis. The term that is used by

the writer is postmodernism.

1. Postmodernism

The term of postmodernism is defined by Kevin Hart in his book where he

explains what Lyotard said about posmodernism

‘So let us return to Lyotard. The postmodern, he argued, was an attitude of

suspicion towards the modern. Why? Because the modern always appeals

to a “meta-narrative” of some kind, something that overarches all human

activities and serves to guide them: the natural primacy of human

consciousness, the fair distribution of wealth in society, and the steady

march of moral progress. To be postmodern is to distrust the claim that we


5

can attain enlightenment or peace by judicious use of reason, that we can

become happy or prosperous, that any of our higher goals can be achieved

if only we wait and work, work and wait.’ He clears his throat. ‘If the

modern designates the era of emancipation and knowledge, consensus and

totalities, then postmodern marks an attitude of disbelief towards the

modern (Hart, 2004: 2).

It is clearly stated that Postmodernism is different from Modernism. Derrida also

says that postmodernism attacked, “the ideals of reason, clarity, truth, and

progress” (Barry, 2002:86) that was provided by modernism. As a basic concept,

it means that they share different idea in it.

To understand this idea, the term modernism should be understood.

According to Powell “Modernism is a blanket term for an explosion of new styles

and trends in the arts in the half of 20th century” (Powell, 1998:20). Modernism is

term that is related to “the Age of Enlightenment, also known as the Age of

Reason. Probably the main value of the age, besides reason was the idea of

progress” (Powell, 1998:20). The writer wants to say that modernism is a new

idea for humanity based on reason and logic. At the 18th century people are

optimistic that by using the universal values of science, reason, and logic,

they could get rid of all the myths and holy ideas that kept humanity from

progressing. They felt this would be eventually free humanity from

misery, religion, superstition, all irrational behavior, and unfounded belief.

Humanity would use thus progress to state freedom, happiness, and

progress (Powell, 1998:20-21)

Postmodernism, as Lyotard puts it, believes “that the nature of knowledge cannot

survive unchanged within this context of general transformation. The status of

knowledge is altered as societies enter what is known as the postmodern age”

(Sarup, 1993:118).


6

2. Attitude

An Attitude is generally defined as the way a person responds to his or her

environment, either positively or negatively. (http://www.boundless.com/

management/text/books/boundless-management-textbook/organizational-

behavior-5/drivers-of-behavior-44/defining-attitude-227-7241/.html, Ocktober 16,

2016). The attitude also means a behavior a person adopts toward other people,

things, incidents or happenings (http://literarydevices.net/attitude/.html, October

16, 2016).


http://www.boundless.com/%20management/text/books/boundless-management-textbook/organizational-behavior-5/drivers-of-behavior-44/defining-attitude-227-7241/.html



http://literarydevices.net/attitude/.html

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. Review of Related Studies

Since this study is going to find out the idea of postmodernism through the

characters’ attitudes from The Lottery, the writer wants to see another study from

undergraduate researcher. Linda Valentina Budiman in her study about The

Lottery states

The result of this study showed that characters attitudes before and during the

lottery drawing are very anxious although there are some characters who do

not show their worried such as Tessie Hutchinson and Old Man Warner. The

Lottery that has been done so many years also brings some effects toward the

characters’ life. There are two kinds of effect: general and specific effect.

Generally, the lottery makes people accept it blindly without questioning

what it is actually for, and it makes them become narrow-minded in such a

way that they are willing to kill one of them every year for sake of a good

harvest (Budiman, 2000:6).

What can be inferred from the statement above is that the lottery can bring a great

impact to the characters in the story. It also makes people in that village just

accept the lottery that has been carried out for so many years without any

questions in their mind. The questions here are about human values and right, as

mentioned above, are severely neglected by killing anybody who wins the lottery.

Another study reviewed for the research is taken from Gisela Swara Gita

Andika’s study. She clarified that Pi as a main character in Life of Pi shows the

ideas of postmodernism from his attitudes. She states that

His postmodernism is also shown in the way he practices three religions in

the same time that can be considered religious pluralism. Religious pluralism,

a part of postmodernism that concerns with religiosity, allows


8

people to go beyond and admit that all religions are true. Pi believes in this

notion, and he practices three religions to find comfort and peace in his life

(Andika, 2012:86).

This statement means that the aspect of postmodernism can be seen in the way

how the character learns the three religions which are Hinduism, Christianity, and

Islam. Religious pluralism can be a guidance to get the understanding that all

religions are true. Pluralism in that statement shows that it belongs to the idea of

postmodernism.

Based on two studies above, the writer here wants to show that one of the

ways to find out ideas from the story or novel is from the characters. All

characters have their own point of view in the way to see something that might

happen in their life. The writer of the thesis develops something different from the

previous studies. The characters’ attitudes from the plot as the main focus here

can also show the idea of postmodernism. It shows that plot can be an important

aspect to reveal either the general or specific idea of the story. The main analysis

is about the characters’ attitudes which are revealed from the plot and how it

reflects the idea of postmodernism.

B. Review of Related Theories

1. Theory of Plot

According to Abrams, “plot in a dramatic or narrative work is constituted by

its events and actions, as these are rendered and ordered toward achieving

particular emotional and artistic effects” (1993:159). In other words, plot is a

concept which is related to events and actions in the story. Abrams also mentions

that plot and character has strong relation because “the actions (including verbal


9

discourse as well as physical actions) are performed by particular characters in a

work, and are the means by which they exhibit moral and dispositional qualities”

(1993: 159). It also means that the actions and attitudes of the characters can be

seen through plot.

Gustav Freytag as guided by Guerin mentions that plot is divided into five

sections; “exposition, rising action, climax (or turning point), falling action, and

denouement (comedy) or catastrophe (tragedy)” (Guerin, 1979:8). The exposition

is “the background information needed to properly understand a story” (Guerin,

1979:8). It means that to find the exposition, the reader has to know about the

basic information of the story, such as the basic conflict or the setting. After that,

the writer can find the rising action from the story. The rising action is “the

inciting moment sets the remainder of the story in motion” (Guerin, 1979:8). But

before finding out the rising action, the writer has to know the basic conflict

which is complicated by “the introduction of other conflicts, such as setbacks”

(Guerin, 1979:8).

Then the writer can decide the climax from the story. The climax “marks a

major change for the protagonist” (Guerin, 1979:8). It means that the character

will face his ultimate test that happens in the story. The falling action comes after

the climax. It contains “a moment of final suspense, during which the final

outcome of the conflict is in doubt” (Guerin, 1979:8). Conclusion is the final part

of the plot. Freytag mentions that in some genres of the story, they can reveal

different conclusion. “Comedy ends with denouement (conclusion, or wrapping

up) in which protagonist is better off than at the story’s outset. Tragedy ends with


10

a catastrophe in which the protagonist is destroyed in some way” (Guerin,

1979:8).

2. Theory of the Relation between Plot and Character

According to Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs in Fiction: An

Introduction to Reading and Writing, a character can be disclosed by considering

these factors: “what the character say (and think), what the character do, what

other characters say about him/her, and what the author says about him/her”

(1989: 147-148). Therefore, what the character do can show the characters’

attitude and some ideas beyond it.

Another study is taken from Abrams. He states that “characters are persons

presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as

being endowed with moral, dispositional, emotional qualities that expressed in

what they say-the dialogue-and by what they do-the action” (1993:23). There is a

strong relation between the plot and the character. Abrams also states it clearly in

his book that “as a plot progresses it arouses expectations in the audience or

reader about the future course of events and actions and how the characters will

respond to them” (1993:160). So, it is possible to find out the attitude from the

characters that is revealed from the plot.

In presenting the characters, the technique adopted can be either showing or

telling. In his book, Abrams gives two methods of characterization. He explains

that

In showing (sometimes called the dramatic method), the author presents

the characters talking and acting, and leave the reader to infer what


11

motives and dispositions lie behind what they say and do. Here a reader

has to be accurate in reading the characters’ dialogue and action in order

to guess is the reason behind all they say and do. Therefore a reader has to

be critical in seeing and judging the characters’ dialogue and action

(Abrams, 1993:24)

Another way that can be used to clarify the characters is by indirect presentation.

Scott in his book explains that “the author shows us the character in action; we

infer what he is like from what he thinks or says or does” (1968:5). Those two

methods will be very useful to analyze the characters in the story because Abrams

clearly states all theory of character in there. In the lottery the characters attitude

can be revealed from the plot. Plot has connection to the progress from the

characters. It contains the actions of the characters which can be seen through

what the characters think and feel. It means that the actions from the characters

also conclude to their attitude.

3. Theories on Postmodernism

According to Abrams “the term postmodernism is sometimes applied to the

literature after World War II (1939-45), when the effects on Western morale of

the first war were greatly exacerbated by the experience of Nazi totalitarianism

and mass extermination, the threat of total destruction by atomic bomb, the

progressive devastation of the natural environment, and ominous fact of

overpopulation” (1993:120). Lyotard also states that “since World War II, people

no longer believe in the grand narratives. After all, applying science and reason to

the construction of gas chambers and efficient railroad schedules, the Nazis

exterminated millions of human beings” (Powell, 1998:40).


12

Abrams also states that “an undertaking in some postmodernist writings is to

subvert the foundations of our accepted modes of thought and experience so as to

reveal the “meaningless”, of existence and the underlying “abyss”, or ”void”, or

“nothingness” on which any supposed security is conceived to be precariously

suspended” (Abrams, 1993:120).

In other words, many of postmodernism terms are applied to some work of

literature after World War II. Besides, the effect of World War II has great impact

to the literature work. It is also said that the foundations of postmodernism

thought accepted the meaningless, abyss, void, and nothingness for the study.

According to Waugh and Rite in their book, they clarified the meaning of

postmodernism as

a “mood” expressed theoretically across a diverse range of theoretical

discourses and involving: a focus on the collapse of grand narratives into

local incommensurable language games or “little narratives; a

Foucauldian emphasis on discontinuity an plurality of history as

discursively produced and formulated, and a tendency to view the

discourses of Enlightenment reason as complicit with the instrumental

rationalization of modern life (1996:289).

From the quotation above, it is clear that postmodernism tries to focus on the

rejection of the grand narratives. Postmodernism believes that the grand narratives

should be changed into little narratives.

Another concept of Postmodernism is also being described by Jim Powell on

his book. He described that Postmodernism was a term which was after the

Modernism. He writes

Postmodernism as the “post” preface implies, is something that follows

modernism. However, people who think about such things as

Postmodernism don’t agree whether Postmodernism is a break from

modernism or a continuation of modernism-or both. In fact, they don’t


13

even agree as to what modernism is, much less Postmodernism (Powell,

1998:19).

It means that the project of enlightenment as a value had lost its credibility. The

project is about “fostering of this belief that a break with tradition, blind habit, and

slavish obedience to religious precepts and prohibitions, coupled with the

application of reason and logic by disinterested individual, can bring about a

solution to the problems of society” (Barry, 2002:85). Some of the philosopher

such us Derrida believe that the enlightenment is uncompleted project. They try to

get rid the value of the enlightenment. In his view “the ideals of reason, clarity,

truth, and progress, and as they were thereby detached from the quest for justice,

he identified them as ‘young conservatives’” (Barry, 2002:86).

For Lyotard, the project of enlightenment tries to totalize explanations of

things like Christianity or the myth of scientific progress. As explained in Peter

Barry’s book, for Lyotard postmodernism is simply

Incredulity towards metanarratives” (2002:86). He believes that

metanarratives of “progress and human perfectability, then, are no longer

tenable, and the best we can hope for is a series of ‘mininarratives’, which

are provisional, contingent, temporary, and relative and which provide a

basis for actions of specific group in particular local circumstances (Barry,

2002:87).

A series of mini narratives such as myths, legends and tales “legitimize

themselves-make themselves believable-just in telling. And at the same time they

legitimize the society in which they are told” (Powell, 1998:34). It means that

the myth, the chanter, the audience, all form a kind of social bond-asocial

group that legitimizes itself through the chanting of the myth. The myth

requires no authorization or legitimization other than itself. The myth

defines what has the right to be said and done in the culture (Powel,

1998:35).


14

That is why postmodernism reject the grand narratives and change it into

mininarratives.

To understand this idea, the term modernism should be understood.

According to Powell “Modernism is a blanket term for an explosion of new styles

and trends in the arts in the half of 20th century” (Powell, 1998:20). Modernism is

term that is related to “the Age of Enlightenment, also known as the Age of

Reason. Probably the main value of the age, besides reason was the idea of

progress” (Powell, 1998:20). It means that modernism is a new idea for humanity

based on reason and logic. At the 18th century, people become

optimistic that by using the universal values of science, reason, and logic,

they could get rid of all the myths and holy ideas that kept humanity from

progressing. They felt this would be eventually free humanity from

misery, religion, superstition, all irrational behavior, and unfounded belief.

Humanity would use thus progress to state freedom, happiness, and

progress (Powell, 1998:20-21)

Postmodernism as a new term after modernism has another idea, proposing that

“the nature of knowledge cannot survive unchanged within this context of general

transformation. The status of knowledge is altered as societies enter what is

known as the postmodern age” (Sarup, 1993:118).

Fredric Jameson in his essay states that “postmodernism emerged as the

reaction against the established forms of high modernism. The key point to the

spirit of postmodernism is the reaction against anything modernly organized”

(Jameson in Kaplan 1988:18).

According to Lyotard in Jim Powell’s book, he states that postmodernism

“has to do with skepticism about Grand narratives; and it is about heterogeneity”

(Powell, 1998:149). That is one of the most characteristic of postmodernism. In


15

Glenn Ward’s book, he mentions that postmodernism is about Knowingness.

Knowingness in postmodernism “insists on ‘self-conscious, self-contradictory,

self-undermining statement’. Since few people trust their convictions or believe

the world can change for better, irony is the only option” (Ward, 2010: 9). It

means that the only way to find out better change is only from the irony. Irony in

the postmodernism is “therefore not just cynical, not just a way of making fun of

the world. It demonstrates a knowingness about how reality is ideologically

constructed” (Nicol, 2002:13).

C. Theoretical Framework

The theories stated above in this chapter will be used to analyze the lottery.

The three theories, the theory of plot will describe the plot in the lottery to find

out the way of how the story goes on. Theory on character will provide some

information to identify the act of the characters in the short story. The theory on

characters is also used to find out how the characters’ attitude the lottery based on

the plot.

The theory on plot from Guerin and Abrams are applied in studying the plot

in the Lottery. Those two theories will help the writer to reveal the plot of the

story. The theory on plot also has relation to the characters action. It means that

theory on characters will be used to analyze the characters for further information.

That is through the characters themselves say, what the characters do, and what

the characters respond, this theory helps in studying the attitudes of the characters

in the story.


16

This thesis uses the idea of postmodernism from many sources as the basic.

The analysis will be mainly based on concept of postmodernism. Making an

intensive review on the theory and studying it from many points of view such as

historically and its development as one of the philosophical school the writer

would try to find the idea of postmodernism as seen through the characters’

attitudes in Jackson’s the Lottery.


17

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” was a short story which is published in June

1948, an issue of The New Yorker magazine. “The Lottery” was successful for

the first time when it was published and has become one of the most famous short

stories in the history of American literature. The world of Shirley Jackson is

horrified and unforgettable. She is the writer who writes something which is not

predictable because especially in “The Lottery” she makes a beautiful summer-

day with nothing seems going to happen into something that is really horrible. The

story is taken from The Lottery and Other Stories by Macmillan in his book on

1988. The story is in page 149 until 154.

The lottery is a short story that takes place in small a village somewhere in

America. A small village where all the residents must participate in the tradition

which is held every summer and then becomes a nightmare for some folks there.

It goes with a normal condition when people gather around to the square for the

lottery. However, at the end of the story the winner is executed to by the people in

that village. As the result, the winner of the lottery should be dead.

B. Approach of the Study

This thesis deals with the idea of postmodernism as seen through the

characters’ attitudes in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”. As a literary work “The


18

Lottery” can be said to have a value that is from the tragedy that has been done in

such traditions which is supposed to kill somebody to get happiness. The great

World War II can be the one of the effects that make such tradition like that exists.

Therefore the Moral-philosophical approach is applied in the analysis since there

is an indication of the presence of a philosophical value in the lottery. According

to Guerin, Moral-philosophical “is an approach of which is basic to examine the

literary work that teach morality and to probe philosophical issue” (Guerin,

1979:29). Since this undergraduate thesis assumes that the lottery teaches a unique

way on doing the tradition, it is possible to do a research using this approach.

With this approach, the analysis to find the idea of postmodernism through the

characters’ attitudes in the lottery will be possible to be done.

C. Method of the Study

In order to support this research, several resources and data are used. They are

books and some references related to the lottery and idea of postmodernism. The

library research method was used as the main method in order to find out the short

story and supportive readings to the study topic. The writer also used internet to

collect some useful data related to the research. From the relevant website, the

writer got some information about the author, the short story, and related articles.

Several steps in the following were done to gain result of the study.

Firstly, the writer read the story in order to understand what the story is about.

Close reading were used to get the information. A list of worth-studying elements

were made, such us plot and characters’ attitude. A deeper reading led the writer


19

to specify the relation between plot and the characters’ attitude. Afterwards, the

other sources about the idea of postmodernism were read. Then, the writer made a

list shortening in order to narrowing the study could be done. It was decided that

this undergraduate thesis would find more about the characters’ attitude and relate

it with postmodernism.

The second step was analyzing the data and starting to make research in more

systematically form. The writer tried to make the problem formulation as the

guidance for the analysis and began to analyze the problem. The first problem

formulation is related to the plots that can be found in the story. The second

problem formulation is how was the characters’ attitudes based on the plots

toward the lottery drawing was possible to answer after having and understanding

of the concept from postmodernism. Then, relate the attitudes from the characters

to the idea of postmodernism.

Finally, the third step was drawing a conclusion. In this step the writer made

summary of all the process of analyzing and the result of the research.


20

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is a short story that tells about a small

group of people who that still believe in the tradition which is called lottery. This

tradition is an event in the story which makes people in that village killing their

neighbor in exchange to get a big harvest. The story goes by showing a contact,

and a communication within all the characters toward the lottery. Most of the

activity that the characters do in the short story is the routine of the lottery event.

In this chapter the writer is going to analyze three items. First, the writer is

going to analyze the plot of the story which is mentioned in the problem

formulations. The second part is about the characters’ attitudes toward the lottery

drawing that is reflected from the plot of the story. This part will be divided into

three sections; before, during, and after the lottery drawing. On the final part, the

writer will answer the last question from problem formulations which are about

the ideas of postmodernism as seen through the characters’ attitudes.

A. The Plot of the Lottery

In this chapter the writer will analyze the plot from the story by using

theories on the previous chapter. Theory from M.H. Abrams and Guerin are used

by the writer as a source of data. By reading and understanding the theory, the

plot of the story can be drawn. The lottery begins with initial situation. Initial

situation here means that the story begins with something that lead the reader to

guess what is going to happen in the lottery and it is the sense of liberation as seen

in this quotation


21

THE MORNING of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth

of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass

was richly green. The people of the village began to gather in the square,

between the post office and the bank, around ten o’clock (Jackson,

1988:149).

The quotation above tells that the lottery is a ritual that happens in such a

beautiful season. It is unclear to see the price of the lottery. The people also seem

really want to be a winner.

The mystery of the lottery begins when the children also gather around to

join the lottery.

The children assembled first, of course. School was recently over for the

summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they

tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into

boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of

books and reprimands. Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full

of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the

smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie

Delacroix-the villagers pronounced this name “Dellacroy”-eventually

made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it

against the raids of the other boys. The girls stood aside, talking among

themselves, looking over their shoulders at the boys, and the very small

children rolled in the dust or clung to the hands of older brothers or sisters.

(Jackson, 1988:149)

As stated in the quotation above it is clear that the lottery is the ritual which

makes the children interested in it. They are doing their activity without

understanding or questioning about the concept of the ritual. They really enjoy

their holiday because at that time the school is recently over for the summer. The

writer of the thesis also might say that the children are really excited about it.

The initial situation can be seen in the conversation between Mrs.

Hutchinson and Mrs. Delacroix. The conversation between them shows that there

is nothing to worry about the lottery.


22

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 the place in the back of

the crowd. “Clean forgot what day it was, “she said to Mrs. Delacroix who

stood next to her, and they both laughed softly. “Thought my old man was

out back stacking wood,” Mrs. Hutchinson went on, “and then I looked out

the window and the kids was gone, and then I remembered it was the

twenty-seventh and came a-running.” She dried her hands on her apron

and Mrs. Delacroix said, “You’re in time, though. They’re still talking

away up there.”(Jackson, 1988:150).

They are really happy to join the lottery although Mrs. Hutchinson comes late to

the square because she forgets the day of the lottery. Mrs. Hutchinson still can

joke around with Mrs. Delacroix and talk about many things.

As the lottery begins, the conflict in the story rises. There are some

people who say that the other village already quit the lottery. It makes the oldest

man in the village angry when he hears that. It is Old Man Warner who gets angry

on that.

Old Man Warner snorted. “Pack of crazy fools,” he said. “Listening to the

young folks, nothing’s good enough for them. Next thing you know,

they’ll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work anymore,

live that way for a while. Used to be a saying about ‘Lottery in June, corn

be heavy soon.’ First thing you know, we’d all be eating stewed

chickweed an acorns. There’s always been lottery,” he added petulantly.

“Bad enough to see young Joe Summers up there joking with everybody”

(Jackson, 1988:152)

It is clear that the conflict between the characters in the story starts to come up.

There is a conflict between those who disagree with the lottery and the one who

agree with the lottery. Based on the Old Man Warner’s statement, the writer sees

nothing wrong in the lottery. But, the fact about the lottery as a ritual also reveals

something different because some of the people there talk about giving up the

lottery.


23

Another conflict from the story also happens when Mr. Hutchinson is the

one who wins the lot but his wife, Mrs. Hutchinson disagrees with the decision

People began to look around to see the Hutchinsons. Bill Hutchinson was

standing quiet, staring down at the paper in his hand. Suddenly, Tessie

Hutchinson shouted to Mr. Summers, “You didn’t give him time enough

to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair!”(Jackson,

1988:152).

It is really weird to see Mrs. Hutchinson protests the decision of the lottery. She

knows that her husband is the winner and she does not like it. The writer of the

thesis sees that there is something wrong with the lottery. It means that the winner

in the lottery will not get something good. There is also something weird when

Mrs. Delacroix and Mrs. Graves think that the lottery is fair for everyone. “Be a

good sport, Tessie,” Mrs. Delacroix called, and Mrs. Graves said, “All of us took

the same chance” (Jackson, 1988:152-153). That statement means that they do not

like to win the lottery. They also refuse to give another chance to Hutchinson

family.

As the story goes, the writer finds that there is something strange to see

why Mrs. Hutchinson really wants to restart the lottery by involving her children

to make everything fair for her family.

There’s Don and Eva,” Mrs. Hutchinson yelled. “Make them take their

chance!”

“Daughters draw with their husbands’ families, Tessie,” Mr. Summers said

genly. “You know that as well as anyone else.”

“It wasn’t fair,” Tessie said.

“I guess not, Joe,” Bill Hutchinson said regretfully. “There’s Bill, Jr., and

Nancy, and little Dave. And Tessie and me.”

“All right, then,” Mr. Summers said. “Harry, you got their tickets back?”


24

Mr. Graves nodded and held up the slips of paper. “Put them in the box,

then,” Mr. Summers directed. “Take Bill’s and put it in.”

“I think we ought to start over,” Mrs. Hutchinson said, as quietly as she

could. “I tell you it wasn’t fair. You didn’t give him time enough to

choose. Everybody saw that” (Jackson, 1988:153).

Those conversations lead the writer to another confusion of the lottery as the ritual

in that village. Mrs. Hutchinson is supposed to be happy when she knows that her

husband is the winner. But in the story, she refuses the decision and wants to start

all over again.

After the lottery starts over again for Hutchinson family, the climax from

the story rises. It happens when Mrs. Hutchinson becomes a winner of the lottery.

But the writer does not see what the price is from the lottery. It feels strange also

to see the happiness of Nancy and Bill as you can see in this quotation. “Nancy

and Bill, Jr., opened theirs at the same time, and both beamed and laughed,

turning around to the crowd and holding their slips of paper above their heads”

(Jackson, 1988:154). This also approves that everyone on that village do not want

to be a winner in the lottery.

Mrs. Hutchinson also keeps saying that it is not fair. She protests the

second result of the drawing. This suspension makes the writer wants to know

what is going to happen next. At the first time, the writer sees that Mrs.

Hutchinson is really excited about the lottery. She tries to give her husband

support when she knows that her husband will get the draw. “Get up there, Bill,”

Mrs. Hutchinson said, and the people near laughed” (Jackson, 1988:152). But

after she wins the lottery, she does not like it.


25

The people in that village do not care anymore to what Mrs. Hutchinson

says as mentioned in quotation below

All right, folks,” Mr. Summers said. “Let’s finish quickly.”

Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black

box, they still remembered to use stones. The pile of stones the boys had

made earlier was ready; there were stones on the ground with the blowing

scraps of paper that had come out the box. Mrs. Delacroix selected a stone

so large she had to pick it up with both hands and turned to Mrs. Dunbar.

“Come on,” she said. “Hurry up (Jackson, 1988:154).

They begin to pick up the stones for the ritual. As mentioned in the quotation, the

writer also knows the prize of the lottery. It makes a clear explanation why the

children stuff up full of stones in their pocket. The conclusion of the story tells us

upon the death of Mrs. Hutchinson. Mrs. Hutchinson also keeps saying “it isn’t

fair, it isn’t right” (Jackson, 1988:154). But no one listens to her and stoned her to

fulfill the ritual.

B. The Attitudes of the Characters toward the Lottery reflected from the

Plot

The second part of this chapter will analyze the attitudes of the Characters

toward the lottery as reflected in the plot of the story. The writer will use theory

from Abrams, V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. The theory on characters from

those experts will help the writer finds the attitudes from the characters.

The lottery is the story about a tradition which is being held by the people

in that village. People are gathering around with their family in the square to

participate the lottery without any anxiety in their minds. This is shown through

their faithful which still believe in such tradition will bring a big harvest to that


26

village. The lottery happens in the beautiful summer day of June 27th. It is also

stated in the story that the lottery has been done for so many years in that village.

In that beautiful day, there is a tragic thing that leads to the human attitudes in that

village.

There is a black box in the square with slips of paper in there which has

been prepared before. Each member of the family must take this paper randomly.

After all the people in there get one slip of paper in their hands, they are allowed

to open it. The paper that has a sign in there will be the chosen one. Then people

begin to throw the stone at the person that get the sign on his or her paper until

die. They don’t care about killing their neighbor as the fulfillment of the tradition

itself. They only believe that after doing that thing, the big harvest will come into

their village.

They never think clearly of what might happen after killing their own

neighbor. They only care about the big harvest whether they should sacrifice the

people in there including their own family. But there are some people in the story

who also think that the lottery is useless. The other village already quit doing the

lottery. These sorts of attitudes lead the following analysis into several sections;

the attitudes in the initial situation, the attitudes in the conflict, and the attitudes in

the climax, and attitudes in the conclusion.

1. The Attitudes of the Characters in the Exposition

In the morning of the lottery day which is held in summer, the children

begin to gather around. They also seem really happy and excited. They gather

around to collect some smoothest and rounded stones. The girls stand aside


27

and talk among themselves. There are small talk about classroom and the

teacher among them.




boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher,

of books and reprimands. Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets

full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting

the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie





children rolled in the dust or clung to the hands of older brothers or

sisters. (Jackson, 1988:149)

The quotation above shows the attitude of the children toward the lottery.

They show curiosity. They feel curious because it is the lottery day in which

one person should be chosen as the winner to end this very important day.

They know that one of them would be chosen as a winner in the lottery but

they don’t seem to care about it and just follow what they have to do. Bobby

Martin is one example of the boy who doesn’t care about what would happen

to him at the lottery. He stuffs himself with stones in his pocket. This shows

that the children are being faithful in the story as their attitude.

Not only the children but also the men feel the same way. They feel

curious about who will be chosen in the lottery. They come to the square

because of the lottery day. They seem to be really friendly among themselves

by talking to each other and joking around.

Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of

planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stood together, away from the

pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled

rather than laughed. (Jackson, 1988:149)


28

The quotation above shows their faith towards the lottery. However, unlike

the children, they show anxiety instead of curiosity. They feel anxious

because their jokes are quiet and they only smile rather than laughing. It feels

that they really want to know who will be the chosen one in the lottery. They

know they will fight with each other for their luck in the lottery. Even though

they know they will fight with each other, they still come to the square. It

means that they have faith in the lottery.

Friendliness is created among the women. They say hello to each other

when they gather around in the square. They greet one another and talk a bit

of gossip. It is stated in this quotation, “The women, wearing faded house

dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their menfolk. They greeted one

another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands”

(Jackson, 1988:149). It also shows that the women’s attitude is friendly.

Friendly atmosphere is also shown through by the conversation between

Mrs. Hutchinson and Mrs. Delacroix. It happens when the lottery drawing is

about to start.

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 the place in the back

of the crowd. “Clean forgot what day it was, “she said to Mrs. Delacroix

who stood next to her, and they both laughed softly. “Thought my old

man was out back stacking wood,” Mrs. Hutchinson went on, “and then I

looked out the window and the kids was gone, and then I remembered it

was the twenty-seventh and came a-running.” She dried her hands on her

apron and Mrs. Delacroix said, “You’re in time, though. They’re still

talking away up there. (Jackson, 1988:150).

It is clear that Mrs. Hutchinson and Mrs. Delacroix have a good relationship.

They greet each other and joke around. This is also obvious that the people of


29

the village are friendly enough. They seem to know each other well. It is

shown by the response from the people in that village to Mrs. Hutchinson’s

joke.

Mrs. Hutchinson reached her husband, and Mr. Summers, who had been

waiting, said cheerfully, “Thought we were going to have to get on

without you, Tessie.” Mrs. Hutchinson said, grinning, “Wouldn’t have

me leave m’dishes in the sink now, would you, Joe?,” and soft laughter

ran through the crowd as the people stirred back into the position after

Mrs. Hutchinson’s arrival. (Jackson, 1988:151)

They do not show that they worry enough about the lottery because they are

still doing that although they know that they must kill whoever is chosen.

Mrs. Hutchinson shows that she really enjoys being a part of the lottery.

A small talk and joke with Mrs. Delacroix reveals the attitude of Mrs.

Hutchinson. She seems to be not worried about the lottery even though she

comes late to the square. It means that Mrs. Hutchinson feels no problem

toward the lottery.

2. The Attitudes of the Characters in the Conflict

When the lottery begins, people who gather around in the square do not

show something different in their attitudes. They still enjoy the lottery as

usual. But, there is a small talk about giving up the lottery which happens in

the north village. It makes Old Man Warner shows his anger. He does not

want to give up the lottery. He refuses to follow what the north village does.

Old Man Warner snorted. “Pack of crazy fools,” he said. “Listening to

the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them. Next thing you know,






30


(Jackson, 1988:152)

He believes that the lottery must be followed by everybody in the village. He

does not feel nervous when getting his lot. He encouraged the other people by

saying “Seventy-seventh year I been in the lottery,” Old Man Warner said as

he went through the crowd. “Seventy-seventh time” (Jackson, 1988:152). His

faith toward the lottery makes him believe that the lottery should not be

abandoned because he believes that the lottery will bring happiness.

On the other hand, Mrs. Hutchinson also never shows that she is

worried or scared. She supports her husband, Bill Hutchinson, when he is

doing his lot. “Get up there, Bill,” Mrs. Hutchinson said, and the people near

her laughed” (Jackson, 1988:152). From Mrs. Hutchinson’s statement above,

it seems that Mrs. Hutchinson doesn’t worry at all. Her attitude does not show

that she is nervous or scared. Instead, she gives support to her husband as if

something would not happen to her. This is really different since other people

feel nervous about their lot. She likes watching her husband doing the lot

instead.

There has been a long pause after they get their lot. Suddenly their

attitudes change. It begins when Mrs. Hutchinson knows that her husband is

the chosen one or the winner. She feels that the lot is not fair for their family.

She seems really angry after knowing the decision from the lots. “You didn’t

give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair!”

(Jackson, 1988:152). She also thinks that their children should have their


31

chance to draw the lot. “There’s Don and Eva,” Mrs. Hutchinson yelled.

“Make them take their chance!” (Jackson, 1988:153). It also makes Mrs.

Hutchinson shows that she is scared to accept the decision. It shows different

attitude from her due to the fact that at the beginning she seems very excited

about the lottery as mentioned in this quotation “Get up there, Bill,” Mrs.

Hutchinson said, and the people near laughed” (Jackson, 1988:152). She tries

to give a support when her husband has his turn to take the lot. On the other

hand, Mrs. Delacroix and Mrs. Graves really hate the fact that Mrs.

Hutchinson thinks that the lot for their family is not fair. “Be a good sport,

Tessie,” Mrs. Delacroix called, and Mrs. Graves said, “All of us took the

same chance” (Jackson, 1988:152-153).

It seems that the attitudes from the characters toward the lottery do not

change. They still show their faith toward the lottery. It seems like the lottery

is ritual that should be obeyed. It is shown by the attitudes of Old Man

Warner when he gets angry after listening to some folk wanting to give up the

lottery. On the other hand, Mrs. Hutchinson does not like it when she knows

that her husband is the winner. She thinks that her family does not get enough

time to pick the lot. The faithful towards the lottery reveals that Mrs.

Hutchinson does not worry about the lottery. She only refuses the way of the

lot to her families and thinks that the lottery should be restarted for her

families. Even though, she should make all her children to be counted in the

lottery.


32

3. The Attitudes of the Characters in the Climax

After knowing the fact that Bill Hutchinson is the winner of the lot,

Mrs. Hutchinson thinks that the lottery should be restarted. Nancy and Bill

who get their chance feel really happy when they know that they are not the

winner of the lottery. “Nancy and Bill, Jr., opened theirs at the same time, and

both beamed and laughed, turning around to the crowd and holding their slips

of paper above their heads” (Jackson, 1988:154). Those show that they do not

regret for missing the chance to win the lottery.

As the lottery restarts, Mrs. Hutchinson has become the winner of the

lottery.

“It’s Tessie,” Mr. Summers said, and his voice was hushed. “Show us

her paper, Bill.”

Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paper out of

her hand. It had a black spot on it, the black spot Mr. Summers had

made the night before with the heavy pencil in the coal-company office

(Jackson, 1988:154).

The statements above also show their faith toward the lottery because they

seem to not worry about Mrs. Hutchinson anymore, even Bill Hutchinson as

her husband. They only want to finish the lottery so they can get a big harvest

in that day.

4. The Attitudes of the Characters in the Conclusion

After people know that Mrs. Hutchinson is the person that gets the lot,

their attitude is totally changing. There is no more friendliness in there. They

seem to be really excited to kill somebody to fulfill the lottery. It is shown by


33

Mrs. Delacroix who has a good relationship with Mrs. Hutchinson before the

lottery start. Instead of helping her friend, she begins to select a large stone to

be used. It is stated that “Mrs. Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to

pick it up with both hands and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. “Come on,” she said.

“Hurry up” (Jackson, 1988:154).

A good relationship between people in that village has gone after the

lottery drawing. Mrs. Hutchinson also keeps saying that everything happens

here is not fair. “It isn’t fair, it isn’t right,” Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and

they were upon her” (Jackson, 1988:154). All people including her family

begin to throw some stones into her without any doubt.

It seems that Old Man Warner is really excited when the lottery finds

the winner. He asks everybody to stone the winner. Old Man Warner is

saying “Come on, come on, everyone” (Jackson, 1988:154). It makes a clear

attitude of Old Man Warner that he believes in the lottery because it can make

his village get a big harvest. However, their faith toward the lottery still do

not change at all. They still believe in the lottery because they kill Mrs.

Hutchinson anyway to gain their purpose.

After the analysis on the attitude of characters toward the lottery which

is revealed from the plot has been done, the result of the analysis shows that

the characters’ attitude has several points that can be stated as reflection of

the idea of postmodernism. The first attitude toward the lottery can be said

that the characters believe in truth and rationality is socially and discursively

constructed. The second attitude from the characters toward the lottery is


34

validity and applicability of the lottery is confined to the particular context or

situations. The last attitude toward the lottery which can be pointed is the

characters believe in the lottery can bring happiness to their village even if

they have to kill the winner in the lottery as a denial to any rational thinking

in the human situation.

C. The Idea of Postmodernism as seen through the Characters’ Attitudes

In Jackson’s “The Lottery”, there are different kinds of attitude which

were shown by all the characters in the story. The characters show that the lottery

should be followed by all people in there. They never think what would happen to

them. They only think that they will get a big harvest after doing the lottery even

if they should sacrifice one of their people. This undergraduate thesis aims to

know the idea of postmodernism based on the attitudes’ of the characters toward

the lottery.

Postmodernism is used widely in many fields: arts, politics, philosophy,

literature, music, pop culture, etc (Featherstone, 2001: 3-4). Postmodern literature

is characterized by many things such as reliance on narrative techniques like

paradox or fragmentation; the following are seen specifically in the Lottery. The

characters in the story have their own attitudes toward the lottery. They follow the

tradition which is far away from human logic. These attitudes lead us to what

postmodernist’s think. “Postmodernism emerged as the reaction against the

established forms of high modernism. The key point to the spirit of

postmodernism is the reaction against anything modernly organized” (Jameson in


35

Kaplan 1988:18). It is obvious that the attitudes’ from the characters is one of the

ideas of postmodernism. They do not think logical or use any reason to do the

lottery. They seem to not care anymore about the reason behind the lottery.

Their faith toward the lottery as the attitude of the characters in the story

also leads to the irony. Their attitudes show that they even do not know what

would happen to them by doing the lottery. They still joke around and do their

activity without any doubt. In fact, they also know that they will lose one of their

neighbors even their family. In this case, there is a possibility that the attitudes

from the characters show the idea of postmodernism. Postmodernism “insists on

‘self-conscious, self-contradictory, self-undermining statement’. Since few people

trust their convictions or believe the world can change for better, irony is the only

option” (Ward, 2010:9). In the following part of analysis, the writer will give an

explanation on each of the ideas, and the discussion of choosing it as the point of

postmodernism. Moreover there will be an explanation about how the characters’

attitudes reflect the idea of postmodernism.

1. The Rejection of Absolute Truth

The Characters’ attitude in the lottery believes that the lottery can bring a

big harvest to their village. The lottery as the tradition is the truth which is

something that should be followed by all the villagers as can be seen in this

quotation







36









As stated in that quotation, the children show that they believe in the lottery

as the truth. They also see that the lottery should be done because they believe

that it will bring a big harvest to the village even though they know that the

lottery ends up with killing each other.

Like the children, all the parents also come to square to join the lottery.

There are small talk about planting and rain, tractors and taxes.

Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of

planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stood together, away from the

pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled

rather than laughed. (Jackson, 1988:149)

They still can joke around with other even though their jokes are quiet and

only smile rather than laugh. In the other hand, Mrs. Hutchinson who comes

late to the lottery seems really excited to do the lottery. As stated in the

previous subject, her faithful toward the lottery makes her come to the square

even though she comes late. Her faithful toward the lottery is based on the

other people who gather around to the square to join the lottery. As

mentioned before, all the villagers know that the lottery will end up with

killing each other because the lottery will bring a big harvest. The lottery is

the truth which is believed by all the characters in that story.

The lottery as the truth in that village can be seen also in the attitude of

Old Man Warner which shows his faithful toward the lottery. It is mentioned


37

that he shows his anger when some of the characters talk about giving up the

lottery which happens in the other village. His faithful toward the lottery

means that the lottery is the truth for all the people in that village. He is angry

because there is a conversation about giving up the lottery. As a person who

joins the lottery for seventy-seventh time, he does not believe in other

tradition as the truth to solve the problem in that village.

The lottery is believed by all the characters in the story as a truth that can

bring a big harvest. They agree to the fact that they should kill each other to

fulfill the tradition. It can be seen in the quotation below

People began to look around to see the Hutchinsons. Bill Hutchinson was

standing quiet, staring down at the paper in his hand. Suddenly, Tessie

Hutchinson shouted to Mr. Summers, “You didn’t give him time enough

to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair!’’

“Be a good sport, Tessie,” Mrs. Delacroix called, and Mrs. Graves said,

“All of us took the same chance.”

“Shut up, Tessie,” Bill Hutchinson said (Jackson, 1988:152-153)

It is clear to say that the lottery is the truth to solve the problem in that village

because all the characters believe it will bring a big harvest to the village.

Even Bill Hutchinson as the winner of the lottery does not try to refuse or

fight it. What he does is warn her wife to stop and accept the fact. But it does

not mean that Mrs. Hutchinson does not believe in the lottery, she only wants

to restart the lottery for her families by taking her children to get their chance.

“There’s Don and Eva,” Mrs. Hutchinson yelled. “Make them take their

chance!” (Jackson, 1988:153).

After the lottery restarted, the winner of the lottery has been decided. It is

Mrs. Hutchinson who wins the lottery. As mentioned before people in that


38

village believe that the lottery will bring a big harvest therefore they should

kill Mrs. Hutchinson that is being far for humane. They seem really excited

about it because finally they can fulfill the lottery.

“All right, folks,” Mr. Summers said. “Let’s finish quickly.”

Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black

box, they still remembered to use stones. The pile of stones the boys had

made earlier was ready; there were stones on the ground with the

blowing scraps of paper that had come out of the box. Mrs. Delacroix

selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands and turned

to Mrs. Dunbar. “Come on,” she said. “Hurry up.”

Mrs. Dunbar had small stones in both hands, and she said, gasping for

breath, “I can’t run at all. You’ll have to go ahead and I’ll catch up with

you.”

The children had stones already, and someone gave little Davy

Hutchinson a few pebbles. Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a

cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the

villagers moved in on her (Jackson, 1988:154).

The characters’ attitude toward the lottery fits the idea of postmodernism

about universal truth. Since postmodernism does not believe in universal

truth, it tends to believe that truth and rationality are socially and discursively

constructed as stated in the quotation bellow

What is specially postmodernist, however, is not the critique of tradition

itself-as well- but rather the more far-reaching claim and truth their

validity and applicability are necessarily limited to their particular

contexts or situations (Mohanty, 1997:xi)

It is clear to say that the lottery is the truth which is believed by all the

villagers in the story. The lottery as the tradition is socially and discursively

constructed by all the villagers in that village. They follow the tradition which

makes them should kill each other for a sake of big harvest. They do not try

to refuse or disagree because they think that something logic in that situation


39

is big harvest can come if they fulfill the lottery. Validity and applicability of

the lottery are confined to particular contexts (Villagers in the story) or the

situations (the belief of big harvest. Because of that they believe in the lottery

that is far from universal value about being humane. They reject that

universal value because the lottery is the truth for that village because it is

socially and discursively constructed by the villagers in that village. As we

know from the Lottery that there is no body who tries to protest or run away

from the lottery. They all come to the square and do the lottery. As the winner

is decided they have no worries to kill him/her because the belief that the

lottery will bring a big harvest that far for universal value about humane.

2. Irony

Postmodernism insists on “self-conscious, self-contradictory, self-

undermining statement. Since few people trust their convictions or believe the

world can change for better, irony is the only option” (Ward, 2010: 9). It is

the one of the idea that postmodernism simply believe in irony to achieve

their goal. In the lottery, the characters show the irony behind their attitude.

The friendliness between Mrs. Delacroix and Mrs. Hutchinson change when

the winner of the lottery is determined.

Mrs. Hutchinson came hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater

thrown over her shoulders, and slid into place in the back of crowd.

“Clean forgot what day it was,” she said to Mrs. Delacroix, who stood

next to her, and they both laughed softly. “Thought my old man was out

back stacking wood,” Mrs. Hutchinson went on, “and then looked out the

window and the kids was gone, and then I remembered it was the twenty-

seventh and came a-running.” She dried her hands on her apron, and Mrs.

Delacroix said, “You’re in time, though. They’re still talking away up

there (Jackson, 1988:150).


40

In that quotation the writer may say that Mrs. Delacroix and Mrs.

Hutchinson has a good relationship. They joke around and give some small

talk. But behind their talk, they still believe in the lottery. They think that the

lottery will bring a big harvest to their village; therefore, they join up the

lottery. But this good relationship change after Mrs. Delacroix knows the

“winner”. “Be a good sport, Tessie,” Mrs. Delacroix called, and Mr. Graves

said, “All of us took the same chance” (Jackson, 1988:152-153). It’s not the

only prove that Mrs. Delacroix attitude changes as you can see in this

quotation, “Mrs. Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with

both hands and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. “Come on,” she said. “Hurry up”

(Jackson, 1988:154). Brand Nicol in his book stated that Irony in the

postmodernism is “therefore not just cynical, not just a way of making fun of

the world. It demonstrates a knowingness about how reality is ideologically

constructed” (Nicol, 2002:13). It is clear that her knowingness about the

lottery makes Mrs. Delacroix kill Mrs. Hutchinson because as mentioned

before the lottery is ideologically constructed by all the people in that village

to gain happiness.

The person that shows his belief in the lottery can be seen in Old Man

Warner.

Old Man Warner snorted. “Pack of crazy fools,” he said. “Listening to

the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them. Next thing you know,





41



(Jackson, 1988:152)

He believes that the lottery is a must to everybody. The same as the other

characters, Old Man Warner also believes that the lottery will bring a big

harvest to his village. He already joined up the lottery for “Seventy-seventh

year” (Jackson, 1988:152) even if he should kill the one who gets the lot. This

means that the irony as the idea of postmodernism shows up because it says

that “since few people trust their convictions or believe the world can change

for better, irony is the only option” (Ward, 2010: 9). The Goal is to achieve a

big harvest and the irony here is he has to follow the lottery even if he should

kill his neighbor.

Another irony can be seen also in the children’s attitude. Before the

lottery drawing














It seems there is nothing going to happen in that situation. The children are

just doing their activity as usual because at that time was a full-summer day.

They only follow their parents to the lottery day. Friendliness between others


42

seems normal. But everything has change when they know that Mrs.

Hutchinson is the “winner”. “Nancy and Bill, Jr., openend theirs at the same

time, and both beamed and laughed, turning around to the crowd and holding

their slips of paper above their heads” (Jackson, 1988:154). They are the

children from Mrs. Hutchinson. From that statements also, the writer sees that

they are really happy because they don’t get any lot. But it is such an irony to

see the fact that they have to kill their mom only to fulfill the ritual. The goal

here is the same to get a big harvest; they must kill the “winner” in the

lottery.

It can be said that the lottery is the only way to gain happiness in that

village even though it is far from rationale in the human situation. As far from

rationale, killing anybody who wins the lottery is the only option. It seems

that there is no other option that can be used in the story. The faithful attitude

toward the lottery shows that there is no rational thinking to solve the

problem rather than believe in the lottery as the only option to get happiness.

It is suit to the idea of postmodernism that irony is the only way to make

something better. They are aware that the lottery will end up killing each

other but they still accept it because they believe the lottery as the truth. As

stated before that Irony in the postmodernism is “therefore not just cynical,

not just a way of making fun of the world. It demonstrates a knowingness

about how reality is ideologically constructed”.


43

3. The Rejections of the Metanarratives

The Rejections of the metanarratives is obviously seen in the characters’

attitude. They do the lottery to gain a big harvest to their village even if they

should sacrifice one of them to dead. They do not care about the ritual that

has been held so many years in that village. This belief is shown by the

attitude from the Old Man Warner. His faithful toward the lottery fit to the

idea of postmodernism because Old Man Warner believes in the lottery. He

believes that the lottery as an ethical systems to gain happiness even though

they should kill each other. Since postmodernism has skepticism toward

metanarratives it cannot trust particular ethical metanarrative.

Postmodernism holds that morality is not necessarily rational, that there

is no foundation discoverable by reason which is available to justify any

particular ethical systems, moral values and beliefs are subjective rather

than objective, there is no “true” human nature that, with the help of

reason, will be expressed with adoption of any particular ethical system,

and that autonomy and rationality cannot be identified as the ideal and

defining characteristics of the person qua moral subject (Taylor,

2001:253).

From the quotation above fit to the attitude of Old Man Warner. The

faithful toward the lottery makes him does not think rational. His rational

thinking is not based on some certain of moral value or particular ethical

systems. He agrees with the way of the lottery by showing his anger. He only

knows that the lottery will work. This attitude also leads to the rejection of

modernism idea in the enlightenment as metanarrative.

a “mood” expressed theoretically across a diverse range of theoretical

discourses and involving: a focus on the collapse of grand narratives into

local incommensurable language games or “little narratives; a

Foucauldian emphasis on discontinuity an plurality of history as


44

discursively produced and formulated, and a tendency to view the

discourses of Enlightenment reason as complicit with the instrumental

rationalization of modern life (Waugh, 1996:289).

Old Man Warner shows that he does not believe in any science, reason, and

logic to do the ritual. The project enlightenment tells that

Reject religious authority! Down with old things like metaphysics,

ignorance, superstition, intolerance and parochialism! Let the rational

faculties of the mind wedded to science, advance knowledge to ever

expanding vistas! Let reason unlock the laws of nature and usher in

optimistic age! Let the practical discoveries of science allow men and

women to get on with the proper business of seeking happiness! (Powell,

1998:28-29).

This means that his faithful toward the lottery shows the rejection in the

enlightenment project.

Evidence also can be found when in the Mr. Summer’s attitude. His

faithful toward the lottery can be seen in is the way he leads everything in the

lottery including the preparation.

The night before the lottery, Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves made up the

slips of paper and put them in the box, and it was then taken to the safe of

Mr. Summers’ coal company and locked up until Mr. Summers was

ready to take it to square next morning. (Jackson, 1988:150)

This Attitude shows that he really does not care about what is going to

happen in the lottery. Mr. Summers is the same as everyone in that village.

He believes that the lottery will bring a big harvest to everybody in that

village that is why he makes a good preparation before the ritual.

The other character attitude toward the lottery also makes the rejection of

metanarrative seems clear. The friendliness between each character shows us

that the lottery is the only way to gain happiness. During the lottery the


45

children shows their enthusiast toward the lottery. They do not worry at all

about the ritual. They seem really enjoy to be a part of the ritual. Their

faithful make them believe in the same way as the other do. They want to

fulfill the ritual to gain happiness.

Mrs. Hutchinson also shows the rejection of the metanarrative in her

attitude. At the beginning of the story, Mrs. Hutchinson is the one who come

late into the ritual.

Mrs. Hutchinson came hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater

thrown over her shoulders, and slid into the place in the back of the crowd.

“Clean forgot what day it was, “she said to Mrs. Delacroix who stood next

to her, and they both laughed softly. “Thought my old man was out back

stacking wood,” Mrs. Hutchinson went on, “and then I looked out the

window and the kids was gone, and then I remembered it was the twenty-

seventh and came a-running.” She dried her hands on her apron and Mrs.

Delacroix said, “You’re in time, though. They’re still talking away up

there. (Jackson, 1988:150).

By seeing the quotation above, Mrs. Hutchinson is really excited about the

lottery even though she comes late to the square. She is also blindly by

following the tradition because she thinks that she should follow the ritual.

She does not care about something that might happen to her or her family.

She only thinks that the lottery can bring a good harvest in that village. It

means as her faithful toward the lottery.

At the end of the story the writer find that Mrs. Hutchinson is the winner

of the lottery and she must be stoned by all the people. Without any doubt at

all, they kill Mrs. Hutchinson to gain happiness because they are faithful

toward the lottery. This fits to the idea of postmodernism about rejecting the

metanarrative. It reveals to the rejection of the enlightenment. The


46

enlightenment is about “fostering of this belief that a break with tradition,

blind habit, and slavish obedience to religious precepts and prohibitions,

coupled with the application of reason and logic by disinterested individual,

can bring about a solution to the problems of society” (Barry, 2002:85).

The attitudes from the characters show that they believe in the

mininarratives. A series of mininarratives such as myths, legends and tales

“legitimize themselves-make themselves believable-just in telling. And at the

same time they legitimize the society in which they are told” (Powell,

1998:34). It means that

the myth, the chanter, the audience, all form a kind of social bond-asocial

group that legitimizes itself through the chanting of the myth. The myth

requires no authorization or legitimization other than itself. The myth

defines what has the right to be said and done in the culture (Powel,

1998:35).

As a belief in that village, the lottery is part of the mininarratives which

becomes the concern of the idea of postmodernism. The idea of

postmodernism rejects grand narratives as a whole system through the world.

The characters’ attitude toward the lottery shows that they do not use any

logic or reason to get a big harvest in that village. They do not need to

legitimate the lottery because they follow what has the right to be said and

done in that village. The lottery as the tradition is a kind of social bond that

asocial by a group that legitimizes itself. A group in that story is all the

characters who believe the lottery as a tradition and a system that should be

done.


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CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

After analyzing the short story, a conclusion can be drawn from this thesis.

Firstly, the plot revealed the characters’ attitude in the story. Plot is needed

because it contains the action and the respond of the character which makes plot

has a relation with the characters’ attitude. The excitement and friendliness among

the people are shown in the exposition. The men are talking about planting and

rain, tractors and taxes. The women are gossiping. And children are playing

around and enjoying their holiday. They are not worry at all about the lottery

which has become the tradition in that village. As the stories goes there is a

conflict between Old Man Warner and the other villager. It is mentioned that Old

Man Warner is angry when he heard that the other village already giving up the

lottery. He thinks that the lottery should be done due to the fact that it will bring a

big harvest in that village. He never thinks logically about the lottery which can

make that village gain happiness. One of the characters from the story named Mrs.

Hutchinson also shows her believe toward the lottery. Even though she comes late

to the square, she still wants to join the lottery. After she knows that her husband

named Bill Hutchinson becomes a winner, she asks to restart the lottery and give

their children the same chance. She is never doubt give her children the same

chance that means she is not worry at all. She still believes that the lottery can

bring a big harvest. As the result, Mrs. Hutchinson wins the lot and the villagers

including Hutchinson’s families begin to stone her until dies.


49

Secondly, the lottery as a tradition creates so many ironies which are

reflected from the characters’ attitude. The irony comes at the beginning of the

story. The characters in that village are not worry at all to join the lottery even if

they end up killing the winner. They do not think logically of doing the tradition.

The excitement and friendliness at the beginning turn into sacrificing someone to

death whoever they are. They do not even think rationale in the human situation.

This denial of rational thinking makes them believe in such a cruel tradition. They

only want to fulfill the tradition to gain a big harvest. This irony comes from the

start until the end of the story. They know that they will kill a winner of the lottery

and they know that they will be chosen also in that tradition but they still do the

lottery.

Thirdly, the characters’ attitude towards the lottery does not show any

logical or rational thinking in human condition. The villagers of the story still

believe in the lottery without legitimates it as the tradition. The only thing they

believe is that the lottery will bring happiness to the village even if they should

kill each other. They do not even use any reason to gain their happiness. It is like

Old Man Warner who gets angry when someone tells about giving up the lottery.

His anger shows that the lottery as a tradition is the only way to make people

happy.

Fourth, there is a relation between the characters’ attitude to the universal

truth. The lottery in the story is the tradition which is believed by all the villagers

as a truth. The truth in that story believes that by killing anybody in the lottery

they will get a big harvest to the village. They do not try to reject or run away


50

from the lottery because of their belief. It tells us the truth in the Lottery is

socially and discursively constructed which can be seen through the characters’

attitude. They do not have a problem to kill anybody in that village even though

they know that it will end up really bad for all the characters in the story. To gain

what they want they have to kill anybody who wins the lottery. They do not use

their logical thinking because the only think that the lottery is confined to all

villagers who can bring a big harvest therefore they have to do the lottery by

ignoring the universal truth about human.


51

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Online resources:

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management/textbook/organizational-behavior-5/drivers-of-behavior-44/defining-

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