Tradition Illustrated In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

The Lottery With an exciting title like “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, one might have a happy, optimistic outlook on the short story they are about to read. Instead, “The Lottery” is a short story that takes place in a small rural town where one’s luck can change with a representation of a piece of paper. After reading the tale, one might feel like they just read an insert from a Stephen King horror story, but that is not how Jackson begins the journey. Once a year, the town’s people gather in the center square of a small settlement in New England. With each white piece of paper placed within a black box, only one paper will mark the unlucky family. One by one, families are called for their attendance, shouting each family member’s last name. Tradition and rituals state that the person within the unlucky family who draws the black marked dot on the white piece of paper, must be …show more content…
In the town square, located “between the post office and the bank” (Jackson 1) the town’s people gather for the annual rural lottery. The children are playing, and collecting round rocks one by one. One of the boys had already stuffed his pockets full of stones. The other boys started to follow the example. The children are following tradition of the annual ‘Lottery’ and choose the smooth, round rocks. The even rocks represent more than a reader might know. Had the children chosen rough, jagged rocks, the stoning of the unfortunate person would go much quicker. By choosing the smooth, rounded, rocks, the death of the individual will take much long, and the agonizing passing would be drawn out. Along with the rocks held within the pockets of the adolescent boys, the children also gathered piles of stones on the ground. By forming masses of rocks on the ground, they will make for swift access once the target has been