A lottery is a game where people have a chance to win a prize, often money. These prizes may be given out randomly or based on the amount of money staked by participants. Lotteries have long been used as a painless form of taxation, and have funded such things as towns, fortifications, libraries, schools, roads, canals, churches, and many other public projects.
Shirley Jackson’s story “The Lottery” is a thought-provoking piece that delves into societal traditions and human nature. It also discusses the dangers of blindly following established customs. The story takes place in a small village, which makes it relatable to readers from all walks of life.
The Setting in “The Lottery”
The short story begins by introducing the reader to the setting of the lottery, a village that closely resembles most American small towns. The villagers are gathered together for their annual lottery ritual, a tradition that ends with the stoning of one villager. This ritual originally served as a way of ensuring a bountiful harvest, but has since lost its meaning. The villagers do not question the relevance of this ritual because it has always been done and is considered part of their heritage.
The man of the household, Mr. Summers, is the orchestrator of this lottery picking, and decides which family will lose a member through the drawing of papers. In this case, it is the Hutchinson family. Tessie, the daughter of this family, represents how arbitrary fate can be. This reaction catalyzes readers to question the entire system and how unfair it is for one family to be chosen as the sacrificial lamb simply by drawing a paper.