Gender Oppression and Female Resistance: A Character Analysis of Tessie Hutchinson in Jackson's The Lottery
Overview
This essay analyzes Tessie Hutchinson as a character symbol of female oppression and resistance in Shirley Jackson's short story The Lottery. The paper argues that Tessie embodies bravery, defiance, and loyalty while simultaneously representing the systematic marginalization of women in patriarchal societies, positioning her as a catalyst for social change.
What this essay covers
- Introduction establishing Tessie as a symbol of societal problems facing women
- Analysis of Tessie's bravery and resistance to unfair treatment during the lottery drawing
- Examination of female oppression through Tessie's late arrival and lack of consultation by her husband
- Discussion of Tessie's loyalty and love for her family despite her marginalized status
- Conclusion framing Tessie as an example for women's liberation from oppression
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Short Story Character Analysis: Tessie Hutchinson in “The Lottery”
Tessie Hutchinson is fictional character in Jackson’s The Lottery (1990). She is married to Bill. The author uses her to portray many societal problems facing women and what they are doing to change their situations.
The first personality trait that Tessie shows is bravery. She is brave enough to defend her husband in a male-dominated society. During the lottery, she notices that Mr. Summers who was officiating the lottery was not fair. She shouts up You didn't give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair. She did this despite knowing that her complaint would not be taken into consideration. This is bravery and women of this generation need to be brave (Coulthard 54).
The resistance that Tessie showed forced her husband to shout at her to keep quiet. It was a sign of disrespect. This shows that this particular society in this story had no place for women to be heard. It only takes courageous women like Tessie to change the believe.
Tessie is symbolic of the oppression women go through. This story portrays women as being instruments of work. They do everything while the men relax. It also seems that their husbands never consult them on anything do not consult women. She arrives late in the lottery and when asked why she says she had forgotten what day that was. This is ironic because her husband arrives in time.