PETER KOSENKO'S READING OF SHIRLEY JACKSON"S "THE LOTTERY"
A Personal Analysis of Peter Kosenko's Essay
Peter Kosenko's essay was published in the New Orleans Review, vol. 12, no.1 in Spring 1985. He interprets Shirley Jackson's short story, The Lottery, as a depiction of the hierarchical order and ideologies of a capitalist society, and how the lottery is essentially a reinforcement of power to the wealthiest of society.
Kosenko begins describing the two general critical attitudes to the tale: that it reveals a primitive savagery within all mankind and it examines the implications of fervently clinging to tradition. This critical response, however, suggests that the lottery is an ideological mechanism, a reinforcement of the village's tiered societal order as the village exhibits "the same socio-economic stratification that most people take for granted in a modern, capitalist society." He explains the link between Mr. Summers, owner of the town's coal business, Mr. Graves and Mr. Martin, the top three rungs of the social ladder, and their role in officiating the lottery. The moment Tess opens the slip of paper to reveal her mark, Jackson writes "It had a black spot on it, the black spot Mr. Summers had made the night before with (a) heavy pencil in (his) coal-company office." This attaches the evil of the black dot to Mr. Summer's company, promoting the dark nature of capitalist social organisation. I believe this is an interesting interpretation, and reflects American Cold War society effectively. Despite its intriguing and relevant ideas, this essay does fail to highlight the correlations between the story's fictional society and the contextual world of the 1940-50s, which would have provided significant evidence in favour of his arguments. After World War II, the gap between the upper and lower classes grew larger, the business-owners reaping the benefits of war-time profits while the poor were left to suffer its ramifications. A 'black mark', or a sense of criminal can be attributed to this dominance of the industrial world.
Expanding on this concept, Kosenko suggests that the lottery serves the purpose of cleansing the town of resistance so that the business owners (Mr. Summers, Graves and Martin) can remain in power. The rules of the lottery, a seemingly fair tradition in terms of who receives the black mark, is really a meticulously constructed process of eliminating whoever opposes the structure of the society. There are many situations in business and politics where this form of corruption and manipulation occurs, especially considering the deceptive and uncertain feelings that pervaded the Cold War era. Through a series of rules and procedures, the lottery actually selects the exact person that needs to be eradicated in order for the hierarchical system to operate smoothly. This democratic illusion prevents its participants from criticising the process, and ensures that notions of chance and equality replace any moral doubts. Kosenko dismisses the ritualistic and religiously sacrificial undertone that permeates the story, specifically when Old Man Warner states, "Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn will be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating chickweed and acorns". He replaces this with the idea that the lottery is merely a means of providing motivation to work hard and ensuring optimum productivity continues, a very capitalist ideal, giving the villagers the unconscious fear that laziness leads to winning the lottery.
Kosenko's analysis is a highly unique and structural interpretation of what is universally considered a very metaphysical story. It is a bleak perspective of the power of the wealthy, the influence they possess over society and the shrewd methods they utilise to maintain this authority. Contextually, his evaluation makes sense, considering the immense battle between capitalism and communism that was occurring during the time The Lottery was written. Also, his argument concerning the ability of seemingly fair processes quashing moral ambiguities can be associated with the communist 'witch hunt' trials that transpired in the post-war era, where people were considered guilty without real proof of any transgressions, and the general population permitted it to happen. Backed by logical and sophisticated arguments, his evaluation is extremely convincing and is certainly a reasonable explanation for the many intricacies of the story.
However, Kosenko has not given merit to the more abstract and conceptual themes the story conveys. He has blatantly undervalued many of the tale's ambiguous strains that have allowed it to last as a masterpiece throughout the ages. Kosenko has sophisticatedly argued the shallow and rather superficial elements of the piece and has only focused on, say, a teaspoon of the deep ocean of meanings this text conveys. The beauty of The Lottery, I believe, is its simplistic and effective capturing of humanity's dark nature beyond the facade of normalcy. He has over-analysed this simplicity and missed the broader, existential exploration into the depths of moral ambiguities and the psychological downfalls of society, giving emphasis only to the who, what, where and how, and not the most vital question of all. The why. Why does society conform to these capitalist ideals? Why do even the most humane of people allow, and even participate, in inhumane actions? From my perspective, this is the crux of the story, and despite his impressive analysis, Kosenko has misunderstood the profound and insightful elements that makes Shelley Jackson's The Lottery a masterpiece.
Kosenko begins describing the two general critical attitudes to the tale: that it reveals a primitive savagery within all mankind and it examines the implications of fervently clinging to tradition. This critical response, however, suggests that the lottery is an ideological mechanism, a reinforcement of the village's tiered societal order as the village exhibits "the same socio-economic stratification that most people take for granted in a modern, capitalist society." He explains the link between Mr. Summers, owner of the town's coal business, Mr. Graves and Mr. Martin, the top three rungs of the social ladder, and their role in officiating the lottery. The moment Tess opens the slip of paper to reveal her mark, Jackson writes "It had a black spot on it, the black spot Mr. Summers had made the night before with (a) heavy pencil in (his) coal-company office." This attaches the evil of the black dot to Mr. Summer's company, promoting the dark nature of capitalist social organisation. I believe this is an interesting interpretation, and reflects American Cold War society effectively. Despite its intriguing and relevant ideas, this essay does fail to highlight the correlations between the story's fictional society and the contextual world of the 1940-50s, which would have provided significant evidence in favour of his arguments. After World War II, the gap between the upper and lower classes grew larger, the business-owners reaping the benefits of war-time profits while the poor were left to suffer its ramifications. A 'black mark', or a sense of criminal can be attributed to this dominance of the industrial world.
Expanding on this concept, Kosenko suggests that the lottery serves the purpose of cleansing the town of resistance so that the business owners (Mr. Summers, Graves and Martin) can remain in power. The rules of the lottery, a seemingly fair tradition in terms of who receives the black mark, is really a meticulously constructed process of eliminating whoever opposes the structure of the society. There are many situations in business and politics where this form of corruption and manipulation occurs, especially considering the deceptive and uncertain feelings that pervaded the Cold War era. Through a series of rules and procedures, the lottery actually selects the exact person that needs to be eradicated in order for the hierarchical system to operate smoothly. This democratic illusion prevents its participants from criticising the process, and ensures that notions of chance and equality replace any moral doubts. Kosenko dismisses the ritualistic and religiously sacrificial undertone that permeates the story, specifically when Old Man Warner states, "Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn will be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating chickweed and acorns". He replaces this with the idea that the lottery is merely a means of providing motivation to work hard and ensuring optimum productivity continues, a very capitalist ideal, giving the villagers the unconscious fear that laziness leads to winning the lottery.
Kosenko's analysis is a highly unique and structural interpretation of what is universally considered a very metaphysical story. It is a bleak perspective of the power of the wealthy, the influence they possess over society and the shrewd methods they utilise to maintain this authority. Contextually, his evaluation makes sense, considering the immense battle between capitalism and communism that was occurring during the time The Lottery was written. Also, his argument concerning the ability of seemingly fair processes quashing moral ambiguities can be associated with the communist 'witch hunt' trials that transpired in the post-war era, where people were considered guilty without real proof of any transgressions, and the general population permitted it to happen. Backed by logical and sophisticated arguments, his evaluation is extremely convincing and is certainly a reasonable explanation for the many intricacies of the story.
However, Kosenko has not given merit to the more abstract and conceptual themes the story conveys. He has blatantly undervalued many of the tale's ambiguous strains that have allowed it to last as a masterpiece throughout the ages. Kosenko has sophisticatedly argued the shallow and rather superficial elements of the piece and has only focused on, say, a teaspoon of the deep ocean of meanings this text conveys. The beauty of The Lottery, I believe, is its simplistic and effective capturing of humanity's dark nature beyond the facade of normalcy. He has over-analysed this simplicity and missed the broader, existential exploration into the depths of moral ambiguities and the psychological downfalls of society, giving emphasis only to the who, what, where and how, and not the most vital question of all. The why. Why does society conform to these capitalist ideals? Why do even the most humane of people allow, and even participate, in inhumane actions? From my perspective, this is the crux of the story, and despite his impressive analysis, Kosenko has misunderstood the profound and insightful elements that makes Shelley Jackson's The Lottery a masterpiece.
EDWARD MARTIN'S ESSAY ON THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD
A Personal Analysis of Edward Martin's Essay
Edward Martin's essay is centred on the contextual influences that have shaped John le Carre's novel, The Spy Who Came In From the Cold (The Spy). This essay was written as an English assignment for Brandeis University in Massachusetts.
Martin begins by detailing how the idea of espionage was not realised until the Second World War, and novels on such matters could not have possibly been written. Men like Alan Turing, the man responsible for breaking the German enigma code, began to force the public out of their moral complacency and heightened the need for intelligence operations. Intelligence agencies adopted a certain mystique, one that was manipulated by the emergence of author Ian Fleming, who transformed the notion of espionage into a wealthy, suave lifestyle. However, a vacuum was beginning to develop for realistic insights into the truth of the spy world, a void that le Carre's intelligent and haunting novel was able to fill. This research on the development and emergence of the spy novel is important when considering how context could have impacted le Carre's novel. The prominence of Fleming's James Bond novels and the public's attitudes towards the intelligence industry would have significantly altered The Spy's stance as a literary masterpiece. Had the population not been bombarded with shallow and materialistic representations of espionage, then perhaps The Spy would not have been received as controversially as it had, thus not as successfully.
He expands on this idea by suggesting the public sensed an element of realism in the novel, a feeling supported by the outraged reception of the CIA to the novel. He discusses the significance of Kim Philby, a highly placed official in the British Intelligence, who was discovered as a Soviet spy and whose defection caused outrage throughout the Western world. He states that people were provided reassurance by The Spy that their own governments were infiltrating enemy areas after the shock of Philby's betrayal, stating that "readers are pleased to find that the British have so stealthily infiltrated the Germans, if only in fiction." This is an interesting idea, but not one I particularly agree with. The Spy is a pessimistic message on the dangers of betrayal and secrets, one that tragically ends with the death of the main characters. In times of such turbulence and deception, it would have offered the exact opposite of reassurance, its realistic feel revealing that people you elected to lead and operate your country are participating in immoral and illicit practices, whose outcomes are as sketchy as the logic behind doing them. The Spy also would have driven home a reality exposed by the Kim Philby situation: the fickle and power-hungry nature of the people who are, essentially, determining your future.
Edward Martin's essay is a rather mismatched concoction of ideas that are not sufficiently expanded or explained. It lacks a clear structure that would assist in clarifying the purpose of his essay, or the argument he is trying to make, which is very unclear. His explorations into the background of the espionage world are insightful, however sometimes he digresses and does not clearly explain an idea. For example, he suggests that the novel is actually a representation of the turmoil that was occurring in post-war America, and the worldwide growing discontent with the United States. He mentions the rise of the Hippie Revolution and America's disillusioned youth, reasoning that the link between the novel and these events are the elements of martyrdom that are seen throughout the novel, which is very vague and unconvincing. His idea could have been very insightful and unique, but it lacked the textual evidence and deeper analysis to support it, which caused me to disagree. From my perspective, the European aspect of the novel is of vital importance to its existential warnings. Le Carre uses the countries of Europe to highlight the spreading moral ambiguity that was shaping Cold War society. As Leamas travels across them, he experiences equally callous treatment whether it is friendly or enemy territory, using Holland, Germany and Britain as indicators of the global degradation of compassion and ethics.
Another point he raises is the theme of Romanticism that is found throughout The Spy - the idea that Leamas was able to discover love and empathy in the uncaring and savage world around him. This is a key aspect to le Carre's novel, arguably the most important quality of the story, the one that makes it a tragically timeless piece. However, again I question its relevance in this essay. Martin has seemingly thrown this point in without consideration to the information he was providing before, about the contextual importance of the story. It further mystifies the purpose of his argument, and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the novel itself, as he basically recounts the plot of Leamas' realisation without attributing this to the examination of the human condition and of a corrupted society le Carre is attempting to convey.
In conclusion, Martin's essay highlights some important and interesting ideas concerning the development of the spy industry in the public's eyes and how this has influenced le Carre's The Spy. With further explanation and clearer articulation, his ideas could have been very sophisticated. However, he leaves the reader with a sense of confusion, and the hanging question, "And the point of that was...?"
Martin begins by detailing how the idea of espionage was not realised until the Second World War, and novels on such matters could not have possibly been written. Men like Alan Turing, the man responsible for breaking the German enigma code, began to force the public out of their moral complacency and heightened the need for intelligence operations. Intelligence agencies adopted a certain mystique, one that was manipulated by the emergence of author Ian Fleming, who transformed the notion of espionage into a wealthy, suave lifestyle. However, a vacuum was beginning to develop for realistic insights into the truth of the spy world, a void that le Carre's intelligent and haunting novel was able to fill. This research on the development and emergence of the spy novel is important when considering how context could have impacted le Carre's novel. The prominence of Fleming's James Bond novels and the public's attitudes towards the intelligence industry would have significantly altered The Spy's stance as a literary masterpiece. Had the population not been bombarded with shallow and materialistic representations of espionage, then perhaps The Spy would not have been received as controversially as it had, thus not as successfully.
He expands on this idea by suggesting the public sensed an element of realism in the novel, a feeling supported by the outraged reception of the CIA to the novel. He discusses the significance of Kim Philby, a highly placed official in the British Intelligence, who was discovered as a Soviet spy and whose defection caused outrage throughout the Western world. He states that people were provided reassurance by The Spy that their own governments were infiltrating enemy areas after the shock of Philby's betrayal, stating that "readers are pleased to find that the British have so stealthily infiltrated the Germans, if only in fiction." This is an interesting idea, but not one I particularly agree with. The Spy is a pessimistic message on the dangers of betrayal and secrets, one that tragically ends with the death of the main characters. In times of such turbulence and deception, it would have offered the exact opposite of reassurance, its realistic feel revealing that people you elected to lead and operate your country are participating in immoral and illicit practices, whose outcomes are as sketchy as the logic behind doing them. The Spy also would have driven home a reality exposed by the Kim Philby situation: the fickle and power-hungry nature of the people who are, essentially, determining your future.
Edward Martin's essay is a rather mismatched concoction of ideas that are not sufficiently expanded or explained. It lacks a clear structure that would assist in clarifying the purpose of his essay, or the argument he is trying to make, which is very unclear. His explorations into the background of the espionage world are insightful, however sometimes he digresses and does not clearly explain an idea. For example, he suggests that the novel is actually a representation of the turmoil that was occurring in post-war America, and the worldwide growing discontent with the United States. He mentions the rise of the Hippie Revolution and America's disillusioned youth, reasoning that the link between the novel and these events are the elements of martyrdom that are seen throughout the novel, which is very vague and unconvincing. His idea could have been very insightful and unique, but it lacked the textual evidence and deeper analysis to support it, which caused me to disagree. From my perspective, the European aspect of the novel is of vital importance to its existential warnings. Le Carre uses the countries of Europe to highlight the spreading moral ambiguity that was shaping Cold War society. As Leamas travels across them, he experiences equally callous treatment whether it is friendly or enemy territory, using Holland, Germany and Britain as indicators of the global degradation of compassion and ethics.
Another point he raises is the theme of Romanticism that is found throughout The Spy - the idea that Leamas was able to discover love and empathy in the uncaring and savage world around him. This is a key aspect to le Carre's novel, arguably the most important quality of the story, the one that makes it a tragically timeless piece. However, again I question its relevance in this essay. Martin has seemingly thrown this point in without consideration to the information he was providing before, about the contextual importance of the story. It further mystifies the purpose of his argument, and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the novel itself, as he basically recounts the plot of Leamas' realisation without attributing this to the examination of the human condition and of a corrupted society le Carre is attempting to convey.
In conclusion, Martin's essay highlights some important and interesting ideas concerning the development of the spy industry in the public's eyes and how this has influenced le Carre's The Spy. With further explanation and clearer articulation, his ideas could have been very sophisticated. However, he leaves the reader with a sense of confusion, and the hanging question, "And the point of that was...?"