During the time Shirley Jackson wrote “The Lottery” in 1948, it was a very positive time period in the United States of America. The economy recently took a turn for the better, thousands of soldiers came home from overseas, and families were reunited and rapidly growing (Boan). The United States and the allied forces had just won the Second World War and defeated arguably the most gruesome dictator in history. Not only were Americans excited about their victory in the war, but also their victory against the religious genocide in the Holocaust. Americans regarded the Holocaust as an evil act and were disturbed at the thought of the German people blindly following the orders of Adolf Hitler. Jackson’s short story was written just after the
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They both have a reason: the Nazi’s being that they believe they are exterminating an inferior race, and the village people in “The Lottery” being that they think that the sacrifice will bring them a good crop yield. Old Man Warner preaches to the village, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” (Jackson). This idea of a heavy corn is how the townspeople justify the gruesome stoning of the innocent town member that “wins” the lottery and is selected to be the year’s sacrifice. The winner of the lottery, after she is chosen, chooses to stand up and claim the unfairness of the lottery. Jay Yarmove says about her new decision to stand up for what is right, “Her protests of the unfairness of the process--a thought that only now has occurred to her, since there is every likelihood of her becoming the chosen victim” (Yarmove) The lottery puts village members, friends, families and even spouses against each other. The lottery winner’s husband is quick to walk over to his wife and show off the fact that she has been selected and not him, "Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paper out of her hand” (Jackson). A typical husband would have protected his wife from the gruesome action that was to follow, but Bill Hutchinson is proud. Similarly, Nazi Germany has their soldiers round up Jews and throw them in …show more content…
Neither would have occurred without the “mob mentality”. Regarding mob mentality, Dr. Wendy James says, “What we might not do as individuals we may do as part of a group. People may lose control of their usual inhibitions, as their mentality becomes that of the group” (James). In “The Lottery,” the townspeople blindly follow a tradition that has been passed down year after year. They do not know why the lottery was first created. They also do not know when the lottery first began. The townspeople still partake in this tradition because it is what they have always done and it is what everyone around them is doing. The result of the lottery is the gruesome stoning of an innocent member of the town; however, with each lottery, no one ever steps out and says anything expressing opposing opinions. In comparison, the Germans killed millions of Jews just because that is what they were told to do. They gruesomely murdered and did not know the purpose; the majority of foot soldiers that were rounding up Jews and throwing them in concentration camps did not know why they were doing it. They murder these people because it is what every other soldier around them was doing and because they are afraid of the consequences of speaking out and saying something against Hitler’s wishes. The Nazis did not ask why, they did not ask when it would end, and they did not care for the well being of the innocent person
They both have a reason: the Nazi’s being that they believe they are exterminating an inferior race, and the village people in “The Lottery” being that they think that the sacrifice will bring them a good crop yield. Old Man Warner preaches to the village, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” (Jackson). This idea of a heavy corn is how the townspeople justify the gruesome stoning of the innocent town member that “wins” the lottery and is selected to be the year’s sacrifice. The winner of the lottery, after she is chosen, chooses to stand up and claim the unfairness of the lottery. Jay Yarmove says about her new decision to stand up for what is right, “Her protests of the unfairness of the process--a thought that only now has occurred to her, since there is every likelihood of her becoming the chosen victim” (Yarmove) The lottery puts village members, friends, families and even spouses against each other. The lottery winner’s husband is quick to walk over to his wife and show off the fact that she has been selected and not him, "Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paper out of her hand” (Jackson). A typical husband would have protected his wife from the gruesome action that was to follow, but Bill Hutchinson is proud. Similarly, Nazi Germany has their soldiers round up Jews and throw them in …show more content…
Neither would have occurred without the “mob mentality”. Regarding mob mentality, Dr. Wendy James says, “What we might not do as individuals we may do as part of a group. People may lose control of their usual inhibitions, as their mentality becomes that of the group” (James). In “The Lottery,” the townspeople blindly follow a tradition that has been passed down year after year. They do not know why the lottery was first created. They also do not know when the lottery first began. The townspeople still partake in this tradition because it is what they have always done and it is what everyone around them is doing. The result of the lottery is the gruesome stoning of an innocent member of the town; however, with each lottery, no one ever steps out and says anything expressing opposing opinions. In comparison, the Germans killed millions of Jews just because that is what they were told to do. They gruesomely murdered and did not know the purpose; the majority of foot soldiers that were rounding up Jews and throwing them in concentration camps did not know why they were doing it. They murder these people because it is what every other soldier around them was doing and because they are afraid of the consequences of speaking out and saying something against Hitler’s wishes. The Nazis did not ask why, they did not ask when it would end, and they did not care for the well being of the innocent person