In her short story, “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson describes a small town’s obedience to tradition as villagers gather to determine which one of them will become that year’s human sacrifice. The lottery (considered a civic community event) takes place in the village square, in the corner of which is a pile of stones. As the villagers gather, the adults avoid the pile, but the young boys play near it, taking small stones to fill their pockets. The trappings of the lottery are described in detail – a black box so old that it is splintered and faded, placed on an unsteady stool; pieces of paper, one of which is marked, (replacing the previously-used wood chips); a speech that is no longer given – all painting the picture that the lottery is an
