Essay On The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Although it is common for people to blindly follow traditions set by older generations, Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery,” would probably provoke any reader to begin wondering what level of immorality needs to be reached before an act is no longer considered justifiable by the word “tradition.” Throughout the plot of “The Lottery,” Jackson implies the dangers affiliated with ignorantly giving in to peer pressure. The story begins mid-morning of a day in late June when seemingly ordinary villagers start gathering in the town’s square. Children are collecting and pocketing smooth, round stones while the adults are having exceptionally small small-talk, smiling when it is appropriate as opposed to laughing (Jackson 221). The lottery revolves around a ritualistic day that is older than Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, but not quite as old as the black box that Mr. Summers uses to draw …show more content…
Hutchinson is devastated to find out that she is the lucky one. Or the unlucky one, rather. She insists that the process “isn’t fair” multiple times but that does not stop the crowd from proceeding with the tradition (Jackson 225). All the villagers, old and young, charge towards Mrs. Hutchinson with stones in their hands as she screams out, “It isn’t fair, it isn’t right” (Jackson 226). The author does a wonderful job initially displaying the characters and town as ordinary and generic with the description of the setting, which prompts the reader to be especially shocked when the story takes a turn for the worst. Considering “The Lottery” was published in 1948, just after World War II, some of the hardships associated with that time frame are reflected throughout Jackson’s story via symbolism. For example, the black box and stones are used to represent the lack of respect people tend to have for human