Jackson and Lawrence

The Theme of Sacrifice in Jackson's "Lottery" and Lawrence's "Winner"

The theme of "sacrifice" is integral to the author's purpose in both "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by DH Lawrence. While the two authors use the idea of sacrifice in very different ways, the importance of sacrifice is clearly delineated. However, Jackson and Lawrence approach the theme from separate angles and with two very unique purposes in mind. This paper will examine the theme of "sacrifice" in each short story and show how it is used to convey the author's underlying message of the importance and value of Christian sacrifice.

In Jackson's "Lottery," sacrifice is arbitrary and random. Each year, an individual from the town is selected by lottery to be stoned. There is no sense, no reason given for the tradition -- other than that it is a tradition and must therefore...
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