The Lottery

Traditions vary amongst different groups of people, and some of these traditions are as bizarre as they can be. Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" revolves around a village's annual ritual of sacrificing one's life. Tessie Hutchinson is chosen as the unfortunate one this year, and is stoned to death by her fellow villagers. Although it appears the lottery will continue indefinitely, there is evidence that the tradition will not last.

The ritual of having the lottery has always been there, even before the birth of "Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town" (2). In everyone's eyes, "there's always been a lottery" (4) and the idea of the village without its annual tradition is strange. Old Man Warner, who is seventy-seven years old, participates in the Lottery for the "seventy-seventh time" (4). Children are brought up in relation to this event. When the Hutchinson family's name is drawn, even the youngest boy of the household has to "take a paper out of the box" (5). As the time of stoning arrives, the children are prepared to take part in what they are expected to do. Someone even "[gives] little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles" (5) to throw at his mother. There is no doubt that this tradition is being passed from generation to generation, and the youngsters of the village are accustomed to this ritual.

Though the tradition has always been a part of this town, this odd custom may be at risk of disappearing. Many things revolving around this tradition are absent, both the idea of the practice, and the physical aspect of it. The villagers are not aware of its purpose anymore as "so much of the ritual has been forgotten [and] discarded" (2). The town now uses a black wooden box as "the original paraphernalia for the lottery [has] been lost long ago" (2). When the box is not in usage, it is kept in places with no importance, such as the post office or the grocery store. The practice of the lottery has become more of a burden rather than a tradition. Many of the families just want to "get this over with" (3) so they can return to working. The tradition has lost its significance, therefore "some places [nearby] have already quit lotteries" (4). Some villagers feel that the ritual "isn't fair [and] isn't right" (5). Old Man Warner, who has been through decades of this practice, senses that "people [aren’t] the way they used to be" (5). As time goes on, more and more of this ritual is going to be forgotten and ignored.

Whether or not the tradition of the lottery lives on depends on the people in this village. The children of the next generation are surrounded by the idea of stone throwing, but they do not understand the reason for this ritual.