The Repercussions of Tradition Throughout history, many different traditions and prejudices have been passed down from generation to generation. The consequences of failing to question and criticize rituals can lead to the primitive downfall of human nature. In Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery,” villagers gather around to participate in the annual town lottery. An air of nervousness and distress surrounds the villagers as the young boys run to collect stones in one corner of the town square. Mr. Summers, the supervisor of the annual lottery, brings in a black box and a three legged stool. In the box are pieces of paper, all of them blank except one with an ominous black spot. As the name of each family is called, the villagers anxiously
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As the lottery is about to commence, Mr. Summers asks around who is not present. Because Clyde Dunbar broke his leg, Mrs. Dunbar has to draw for herself. The villagers’ reactions reveal the gender norms of women in the short story when Mr. Summers says, “‘Wife draws for her husband.’… ‘Don’t you have a grown boy to do it for you, Janey?’” (Jackson 3). This dialogue shows the sexist nature of the patriarchal society. The fact that men are expected to draw and determine their fate and the fate of their family shows that women are expected to be bystanders in the determination of their destiny. Jackson portrays prejudice toward women, and the flawed views of needing a male authority in society, when the Watson boy needs to draw for him and his mother. The men say, “Glad to see your mother’s got a man to do it” (Jackson 3). This demonstrates the inferior status of women in this story. The men have a biased expectation for the women which comes from the patriarchal society that has been passed on from generation to generation. In A Stoning of Mistress Hutchinson: Meaning and Context in “The Lottery”, Oehlschlaeger explains, “the design of the lottery is without flaw; it serves perfectly the patriarchal purpose of denying women 's consciousness by insisting that they remain part of nature, part of the fertile earth itself” (151). This conveys that the women have less power and should just remain a part of nature and submit to the wills of their husbands. In order for the men in their family to survive, the women should give birth to as many children as they can. Therefore, reproducing many children lowers the chance of the men getting picked for the lottery. It exhibits that in society the men are sacrificing their wives (who can’t reproduce anymore) and their children to save their own lives. Furthermore, the male dominance in the village is a way of
As the lottery is about to commence, Mr. Summers asks around who is not present. Because Clyde Dunbar broke his leg, Mrs. Dunbar has to draw for herself. The villagers’ reactions reveal the gender norms of women in the short story when Mr. Summers says, “‘Wife draws for her husband.’… ‘Don’t you have a grown boy to do it for you, Janey?’” (Jackson 3). This dialogue shows the sexist nature of the patriarchal society. The fact that men are expected to draw and determine their fate and the fate of their family shows that women are expected to be bystanders in the determination of their destiny. Jackson portrays prejudice toward women, and the flawed views of needing a male authority in society, when the Watson boy needs to draw for him and his mother. The men say, “Glad to see your mother’s got a man to do it” (Jackson 3). This demonstrates the inferior status of women in this story. The men have a biased expectation for the women which comes from the patriarchal society that has been passed on from generation to generation. In A Stoning of Mistress Hutchinson: Meaning and Context in “The Lottery”, Oehlschlaeger explains, “the design of the lottery is without flaw; it serves perfectly the patriarchal purpose of denying women 's consciousness by insisting that they remain part of nature, part of the fertile earth itself” (151). This conveys that the women have less power and should just remain a part of nature and submit to the wills of their husbands. In order for the men in their family to survive, the women should give birth to as many children as they can. Therefore, reproducing many children lowers the chance of the men getting picked for the lottery. It exhibits that in society the men are sacrificing their wives (who can’t reproduce anymore) and their children to save their own lives. Furthermore, the male dominance in the village is a way of