Jackson’s "The Lottery" as an Allegory Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery" is an excellent example of an allegorical short story. In this story, the reader learns of a town’s "lottery" that takes place once a year, every year. It has been a tradition in this small rural town for many years and the villagers never question these activities, they just blindly go along with it. But what the reader doesn’t know is just what kind of prize the winner is going to obtain. Jackson’s use of symbolism is shown through the description of the characters, significant objects, and the actions in the story. These elements are used