The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

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The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

“The Lottery by Shirley Jackson” is a short story about a lottery in a small village in United States with a population of 300 people. The lottery in this village took only about two hours unlike other places where the population was so big it had to take two days. The lottery here started with the children gathering small stones with some putting them in the pocket. The story does not reveal what kind of a lottery it was until at the end of the story, where Mrs. Hutchinson is screaming, “It isn’t fair, it isn’t right,” Mrs. Hutchinson screamed and then they were upon her,” (Jackson 2007). This statement meant that the lottery was not a good prize; rather, it was a matter of selecting who would be stoned to death. The last statement gives a clearer conclusion that the lottery was a bout sacrificing a person in order to have good harvests as somebody had suggested. As the story develops, there are several vague hints that the lottery was about death.

In the whole story, after the lottery begins with Mr. Summers calling out the first name, there is a lot of suspense where the reader wonders why the first man is so nervous. When he goes back to the crowd, he does not open his paper as instructed, but stands a little distance from his family and avoided looking at the paper. In addition, he leaves hastily form the black box after selecting a paper, after they grinned at each other humorlessly with Mr. Summers. This suggests that nothing good is coming from the lottery since we would expect he would be excited and expectant of a good win. It is only after the Hutchinson family draws the paper with the black spot we get a clearer understanding of what the author is trying to tell us when Tessie is saying it was unfair. Had it been a good prize, she would not have been worried of defending against it; she would have been rejoicing. Further, after she draws the paper with the black spot she continues to say it was unfair and the lottery should be repeated. At this time, we can clearly see the intention of the lottery, which was to stone the one that would draw the paper with the black spot as the people drew closer to her holding stones. The violence is illustrated further by the statement saying that despite many forgetting the rules of the lottery, none of them forgot how to use the stones.

Despite the story not telling the meaning of the lottery at the beginning, looking back at the progress of the story, it is clear there was a tone suggesting such an ending that one only realizes after reading the whole story. For instance, collecting of stones by the children gave a vague hint. When we are told that, “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones,” we get a first vague hint of the lottery. It is rare to have stones in a lottery, which raises a lot of concern over what is their significance especially when it is said they were put ready meaning they would be used at one time. Adults arrive later after children chatting about planting, taxes, rain and tractors while joking and gossiping as they wait for the officials of the lottery to arrive. As the chatting goes on, there are people saying that other places are considering giving up the lottery while others have already stopped. This further raises a question of why they would stop, while we are made to understand it is a ritual meant to ensure good harvests.

When the officials arrive, with one Mr. Summers carrying a black wooden box accompanied by the postmaster, Mr. Graves carrying a three-legged stool upon which the box is placed. Again, we are given another vague clue by his name that suggests where people are buried, graves. In addition, the name of the other official Mr. Summers suggests it is seasonal ad happens every season, where one person is selected in the lottery to die. It is also a wonder that every body in the village has to take part in the lottery. Before the lottery began, everybody has to be put in the list to ensure everybody participates. In addition, we are not told of any prize being won, making the lottery more mysterious and vague. When Tessie, Mrs. Hutchinson arrives late, she chats a little with Mrs. Delacroix and after seeing where her family stood, “She tapped Mrs. Delacroix on the arm as a farewell and began to make her way through the crowd,” (Jackson 2007). Te word farewell is used to give another hint, considering it suggests that a person is leaving. This was to make Mrs. Hutchinson stand out from the rest, which makes the reader expect something from her. In addition, she arrives late, and her arrival is treated exceptionally from all the others, considering the whole crowd took notice of her, and gave her way to get to her family as tough they were waiting for her.

The author comes in at the last few sentences to give a clear depiction of the king of violence that people drew upon themselves without any particular reason. The author is trying to tell us about the violence of the lotteries that took place in America considering all of the towns and regions practiced before and stopped recently, while some are thinking of stopping. However, for this village, they still go on to practice the ritual, which is meant to be a sacrifice. This writer is highlighting the dangers posed by traditions considering old Warner says it is his seventy-seventh lottery, which only means he has taken part in killing of 77 people through stoning as the lottery is designed. This is the result of following traditions to the letter without even stopping for a moment to think about the consequences of following the traditions. Despite there lacking a credible reason why such a ritual would be held yearly, the people of this town still continue to practice. In addition, is surprising that even family members take part in killing one of their own just because it is tradition. We see little Dave taking pebbles to kill his mother, and no guilt is felt over such killings.

Work cited

Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. classicshorts.com, 2007. Web. March 6, 2012.