Conformity And Social Responsibility In 'The Lottery'

History has shown us throughout time, a strong correlation between a society's potential for success and its incorporation of social responsibility. In other words, each member of society must understand their responsibilities within that society, to have the potential to succeed. These responsibilities include knowing when it is appropriate to conform, as well as when it's necessary to rebel. Conformity within a society is essential to establish laws and guidelines intended for safety and the benefit of all the members of society. Rebellion, on the other hand, becomes a social responsibility when the act of conformity is morally wrong and unjust. Many people choose to ignore their social responsibility to rebel against actions that are morally …show more content…
The film and the story begin with an introduction to a community that initially appears to be sensible and similar to one seen in today's society. Compared to a modern-day holiday event, the community members all gathering together at a set place and time to participate in a yearly lottery. Each head of household, typically the father, is called alphabetically to select a slip of paper from the traditional black box. Everyone patiently waits to look at their chosen sheet of paper until everyone has picked one. Once the lottery has convened, the audience becomes shockingly made aware that the winner of the lottery is a traditional sacrifice that must be brutally and senselessly stoned to death by family, friends and other members of their community. Furthermore, many of the characters names and their corresponding positions remained identical to that of the original short story. Uniquely, Jackson used the names of the main characters to foreshadow and warn the audience of the lottery event's purpose. Mr. Summers is the name of the man running the lottery event, while Mr. Graves is his right-hand man. The audience is mindfully aware that the lottery event takes place every June during the summer. Mr. Graves being his right-hand-man foreshadows the result of the lottery being