Inductive reasoning, if thats an option
Mama's plant and Beneatha's hair are two significant symbols in the drama <em>A Raisin in the Sun</em>. The meaning in Mama's plant comes from the fact that the family is symbolized by the plant. In the same manner that she takes care of the family, Mama is as committed to caring for the plant. Despite its bad surroundings, the plant thrives because she wants it to. This is comparable to the family's growth, which similarly prospers in spite of its challenging conditions. We can observe that Beneatha's hair represents the identity and self-development changes she experiences in this situation. Although she starts off with straightened hair, she grows more at ease with her natural hair as she gains pride in her lineage and self-assurance.
Answer:
The act/ behavior of Mrs. Delacroix is ironic for she seemed to have more respect and interest in preserving the tradition than her friend's life.
This instance of irony shows that the villagers hold the power of tradition more important than the barbaric tradition of putting someone to death just for a "good harvest".
Explanation:
Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" set in an unnamed village in an unspecified time/year tells of a village's annual ritual of stoning one person to death as a way of 'offering' for a goof harvest. This ritual is barbaric and the people in the village also knows it but they wouldn't change it anyway.
The present year's lot fell on the Hutchinsons, where another lot drew Tessie out as the year's 'winner'. Mrs. Delacroix seemed to be a close friend of Tessie, for we see them standing together and talking while the lottery was about to start. But once the "winner" had been chosen and Tessie "won", Mrs. Delacroix began to take the biggest stone, "<em>so large she had to pick it up with both hands</em>" and urged Mrs. Dunbar to hurry so that she can get back to her house chores. This is ironic, considering she seemed to be close to Tessie just few minutes back. But now, she doesn't seem to have any remorse or pity for her friend.
The ironic or unexpected behavior of Mrs. Delacroix in wanting to get the "ritual" over with, shows not only her but also the whole village's ingrained practice of the annual ritual. They seem to keep more importance on tradition, even if it seemed barbaric, than saving a friend's life. So accustomed are they to the long standing tradition of the "lottery" that they seemed to know nothing better but observe it and be done with.
Topic Sentence at the End of the Paragraph
While it is most common for topic sentences to begin the paragraph, they do not always do so. Consider the following sign, seen in the window of a beauty salon:
Please,
No exceptions.
Unless they are booked for service,
No Children
In this situation, No exceptions is clearly not the topic of the sign, and No Children clearly is. Yet the subject, No Children, is placed in the end rather than the head position. When this idea is extended to the paragraph, the topic sentence, placed last, serves to summarize the previous details. Paragraphs written in this way can be diagrammed as an upright triangle, with the broad base representing the topic sentence:
Topic Sentence at the End of the Paragraph
While it is most common for topic sentences to begin the paragraph, they do not always do so. Consider the following sign, seen in the window of a beauty salon:
Please,
No exceptions.
Unless they are booked for service,
No Children
In this situation, No exceptions is clearly not the topic of the sign, and No Children clearly is. Yet the subject, No Children, is placed in the end rather than the head position. When this idea is extended to the paragraph, the topic sentence, placed last, serves to summarize the previous details. Paragraphs written in this way can be diagrammed as an upright triangle, with the broad base representing the topic sentence:
Paragraphs are written in this form primarily for one of two reasons: (1) to create suspense or (2) to bring up a controversial topic only after sufficient groundwork has been laid. In the case of the sign in the beauty salon, the message is made gentler by stating the only situation in which children are allowed before stating the more controversial behest, No Children, in the final position. The act of providing convincing data or groundwork leads the reader to the topic sentence, which then also serves as the conclusion.
The following sample paragraph is an example of one in which the topic sentence and controlling idea appear in the final position:
People do it everyday. They log on to their favorite website and browse for hours, checking out bargains. They dump every possible wish into their shopping carts, knowing they can cast each one aside before they finalize their purchases. On the way, they may enter a sweepstakes in the hopes of winning a trip to Cabo San Lucas, or maybe even a new SUV. And then, when they have decided on their purchases, they enter private information without giving it a thought. With a keystroke, they release their personal data into what may or may not be a secure zone. Despite what much of the public believes, internet shopping is not safe.
In this paragraph, the idea that internet shopping may not be safe could be considered controversial. For this reason, groundwork is laid before the final, topic sentence is stated.
- Toilettres (toothbrush; toothpaste; hairbrush' deodorant; feminine products (if needed))
- Outfits corresponding to the number of days you will be gone
- Pajamas corresponding to the number of nights you will be gone
- A pair of slip on shoes
- A pair of closed toed shoes
- Pairs of socks corresponding to the number of days you will be gone
- Pairs of underwear (+bras if needed [bras can be used three times in a row before they must be washed, so one bra for 3 days]) corresponding to the days you will be gone
- Additional personal artifacts
