The Concept of Defamiliarization: A Study of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”

Abstract

Curiosity is what drives man to seek unfamiliar things. When things happen regularly, they go straightforward to thought and man will turn a blind eye to it. Accordingly, most familiar things make us feel numb. To challenge our senses and surroundings, man seeks to strangeness. What makes the familiar strange is called Defamiliarization. 

Defamiliarization is achieved through the narrative technique which leads the reader to shift his viewpoint and disruptor his expectations so as to create a new sense of perception. Shirley Jackson, is a Modern American short story writer, best known for her dark humour and her horror style within domestic life. “The Lottery” is one of her distinguished short stories.

 “The Lottery” sets on the 27^th of June, in a small English village, the exact day of the annual lottery. It is a traditional festival done to guarantee good harvest. Surprisingly, the prize is to be stoned to death. Often “The Lottery” is either analyzed Psychologically according to the characters’ behaviour or regarding to sociological aspects. The current study presents a narrative technique that twists the usual expectations.

To fill the gap, the study concentrates on the defamiliar, title, setting, plot, portrayal of characters, symbolism and the tone. By using Victor Shklovsky’s Defamiliarization technique, the author shocks us with her friendly tone to present a horrific brutal ritualistic tradition. The study aims to shock the audience to force them criticise social behaviors and to challenge the notions of blind obedience to traditions.