Corruption In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

Shirley Jackson’s, The Lottery, is a short story that exhibits the corruption in society. The story initially describes a small village whose lives are significantly embroidered upon an annual ritual known as “the lottery.” Allegedly, the ritual is done to ensure a healthy harvest and simply because it has always been done. As part of the ritual, slips of paper are put into a black box that will later be drawn by the families of the village. Unfortunately, the family who draws the slip of paper that holds the black dot would then have a member of their family stoned to death as part of sacrificing.

In Jackson’s short story, there is evidence that the villagers do not fully apprehend the true meaning of the ritual they partake in. Why do the villagers cling to the …show more content…
The evidence supports the oblivious villagers true intentions of their heinous act. Griffin connects the annual ritual with the rituals of ancient cultures. The fact that Griffin makes this connection with an actual historical background makes this scenario more plausible and effective to the reader. Thus, revealing that the ritual once did have meaning after all, which also makes the reader better comprehend the ritual. Griffin's following argument is also supported by plausible evidence that specifically focuses on the violent actions of the ritual, which stresses how humans are true savages. For they "still remembered to use stones" despite the fact they had "forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box.” Although Griffin’s arguments are both interesting and feasible she leaves the reader wondering which explanation is best, as a result, possibly overwhelming the reader as she compels the reader to think about the villagers actions more thoroughly. Not only does Griffin overwhelm the reader, she seems to be unsure of the best answer herself, which explains why she included two explanations in her