“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson presents a myriad of themes that deal with the persecution of others. The fact that the chosen individual of the lottery was to be stoned to death by their peers was perhaps the most shocking and climactic moment of the story. The reader would never suspect the murderous intentions of the town’s tradition since the plot builds up in such an innocent fashion. Jackson decisively places themes in the story that satirically exploit the disadvantages of following traditions without consideration of the purpose of such traditions. Another aspect of the lottery that stands out is the random nature behind the decision of who is to be the chosen one. The family, friends and peers of the chosen individual are quick
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In the story, Tessie Hutchinson was the chosen one of the lottery. The narrator graphically describes what happens by saying that, “Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. ‘It isn 't fair,’ she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head. Old Man Warner was saying, ‘Come on, come on, everyone.’ Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves beside him. ‘It isn 't fair, it isn 't right,’ Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her” (Gardner 249). This part of the story illustrates the horrific nature of the lottery tradition and how Tessie was a scapegoat figure for the village. Tessie was a well-known and liked house wife of the village. However, her friends and family were quick to turn around and stone her to death just because she was the chosen one of the lottery. This shows how she was a scapegoat figure of the town at this point. Her friends and family were so entrenched and emotionally connected to the tradition that they could disregard their own relationships in order to carry out the main goal of the tradition which was to kill the chosen one. This is just like the scapegoating that occurred during the Holocaust. Certain groups such as the Jews were ostracized simply because they were different. These groups were scapegoat figures of the German society. Adolf Hitler started this movement and tradition of scapegoating the Jewish group. After a long time of continual discrimination it became an accepted tradition to ostracize the Jewish people. The German people went along with the tradition and helped the movement to kill and hurt the groups that were targeted by the Nazi regime. The scapegoating of groups became a tradition among the German people that was blindly
In the story, Tessie Hutchinson was the chosen one of the lottery. The narrator graphically describes what happens by saying that, “Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. ‘It isn 't fair,’ she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head. Old Man Warner was saying, ‘Come on, come on, everyone.’ Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves beside him. ‘It isn 't fair, it isn 't right,’ Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her” (Gardner 249). This part of the story illustrates the horrific nature of the lottery tradition and how Tessie was a scapegoat figure for the village. Tessie was a well-known and liked house wife of the village. However, her friends and family were quick to turn around and stone her to death just because she was the chosen one of the lottery. This shows how she was a scapegoat figure of the town at this point. Her friends and family were so entrenched and emotionally connected to the tradition that they could disregard their own relationships in order to carry out the main goal of the tradition which was to kill the chosen one. This is just like the scapegoating that occurred during the Holocaust. Certain groups such as the Jews were ostracized simply because they were different. These groups were scapegoat figures of the German society. Adolf Hitler started this movement and tradition of scapegoating the Jewish group. After a long time of continual discrimination it became an accepted tradition to ostracize the Jewish people. The German people went along with the tradition and helped the movement to kill and hurt the groups that were targeted by the Nazi regime. The scapegoating of groups became a tradition among the German people that was blindly