In the short story “The Lottery”, written by Shirley Jackson in 1948, the author showcases a dystopian future in which tradition and a sense of community is placed above the individual. An ironic twist at the end turns a pleasant, slice-of-life story about a developing society into a morality tale in which our obsession with tradition is taken to its most extreme conclusion. The characters tacitly endorse horrific violence, showing the real monsters that lie at the very core of human nature. With “The Lottery,” Jackson wishes to showcase the foolishness of mob mentality and the gradual erosion of social freedoms from acceptance by the public. In this way, Jackson shows the dangerous side of tradition and belief, linking it to dangerous and destructive behavior for the sake of one’s community.
Tradition as a universal constant in society is a central theme of “The Lottery.” Despite the deplorable nature of the practice, the stoning of the villager who wins the lottery is a cultural given – something no one questions. Through the collective actions of the community, we learn a lot about humanity’s desire for violence: “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones” (Jackson 290). The lottery symbolizes a bleak view of human nature as it shows humanity’s casual application of aggression. The lottery winner becomes a symbolic scapegoat for the village’s problems, which they can easily kill and exorcise – a practice that has parallels in real human history. For example, in Christianity, Jesus Christ is crucified for the purpose of the salvation of human kind from their sins. Similarly, Tessie is selected through a random pick in order for the people in the village to have a good harvest. Jackson uses these cultural references to place our sympathies firmly with the poor, martyred girl about to be killed.
All of the characters of “The Lottery” are members of a society that lacks compassion and empathy, as they have a utilitarian focus on their work instead. At the same time, the lottery is established as having the same level of societal importance as other leisure activities performed in the town: “The lottery was conducted – as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program – by Mr. Summers, who had time and energy to devote to civic activities” (Jackson 4). This further normalizes the ritual in this society, as it becomes just another thing they do; this realization is horrific for the reader only after they realize what the lottery is truly meant to do. When it occurs, it is performed matter-of-factly: "Well, now." Mr. Summers said soberly, "guess we better get started, get this over with, so's we can go back to work. " (Jackson 10). No one comes forward to offer themselves as a sacrifice instead of Tessie, even old man Werner and her own family. This society accepts the stoning lottery as a way of life and has no desire to change the process. The townsmen are numb to the lottery’s cruelty and simply wish to let another lottery go by without being picked. These elements illustrate a society that has lost its moral compass, Jackson using the lottery as the ultimate sign of moral bankruptcy.
Jackson makes great use of irony to demonstrate the futility of the lottery and its senseless nature. Jackson used a detailed story, as well as complex prose and characterization, to help the reader believe the events which happened in the village, giving them a great deal of veracity . The true nature of what winning the lottery entails is not revealed until the very end of the story, most of the prose focusing on the character’s various reactions to the impending selection. The readers assume that the characters, who show anticipation and enthusiasm during the lottery, are looking forward to the prize because the prize is good. Jackson uses this tension to create an atmosphere of unpredictability; the reader never suspects the disturbingly inhumane conclusion they are given at the end.
The casual reaction that the characters have to the lottery makes the reveal even more disturbing; women gossip and men joke while the whole thing is happening. Children and family members easily turn on each other, especially Tessie; a member of the community gives “little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles” in order to kill his mother, teaching him from a young age that this kind of violence is accepted. (Jackson 78). Jackson uses this sense of anticipation to hit the reader with the darkly ironic twist that the lottery is tantamount to institutionalized murder, following it up with a grotesque depiction of the stoning that punctuates the horror of the lottery for the audience.
The subtext of Jackson’s short story is, ostensibly, an attack on mindless tradition . Jackson demonstrates how humanity relies on tradition in some way or another in the village’s zeal for the lottery to commence. The villagers use the lottery system in order to guarantee that there is enough rain for their crops during the year, adding an element of superstition to the barbaric practice. Many societies use rituals to attempt to influence fate or the gods to provide a bountiful harvest . By merely showing this in a matter-of-fact way, the reader is allowed to make up their own minds about the morality of the lottery as it relates to the villager’s sense of tradition. The generational, transformative nature of the tradition is shown in the village’s elation at the completion of the lottery; they gladly and matter-of-factly stone Tessie to death. There is a substantial element of suppressed violence to the lottery, using tradition as a means to vent frustrations and express aggression . This shows just how unpleasant such symbols can be when taken to their logical conclusion, which is the purpose of Jackson’s work.
While there is the potential for the village to overcome its attachment to the lottery, the only protests occur in the shadows, under muttered breath, or under protest from those who lose the lottery. When Mrs. Hutchinson is picked, she just opposes it because the shoe is on the other foot; in other circumstances, when it did not affect her, she would have said nothing. However, when she is picked, she fights back: “’It isn't fair, it isn't right,’ Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her” (Jackson 80). Old Man Warner remains devoted to the importance of the lottery, believing that this tradition helps reinforce the beliefs of their society. At the same time, he still expresses doubt at the direction in which their society is going: “"It's not the way it used to be." Old Man Warner said clearly. "People ain't the way they used to be” (Jackson 69). These bits of insight reveal an inkling of humanity in the world of “The Lottery,” but no one is able to assert themselves enough to actually stop it. Instead of protesting, people sit idly by and watch someone get murdered, only speaking up when it is their head on the chopping block. Jackson uses this glimmer of sympathy to show humanity’s selfish nature, and the inextricable ties we have to tradition.
The true horror of “The Lottery” comes from the realization that such destructive rituals are alive and well in our own society and that of others; looking at the stoning of Tessie from a modern perspective, it seems barbaric, but in the world of “The Lottery” it is perfectly normal, and accepted. The active violence of the lottery is just the most blatant example of the passive sexism and hierarchical nature of the village, as shown by daughters needing to draw with their husband’s families, the family being defined by the male head of the household, and so on (Jackson 51). The behavior of the characters is shown to reveal an undercurrent of rage and hypocrisy that the lottery lets out in people. For example, Mrs. Delacroix and Mrs. Hutchinson are shown to be good friends early in the story: “’Clean forgot what day it was,’ she said to Mrs. Delacroix, who stood next to her, and they both laughed softly. (Jackson 8). However, as soon as Mrs. Hutchinson is picked and it is time to stone her, Mrs. Delacroix’s true self is revealed: “Mrs. Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. ‘Come on,’ she said. ‘Hurry up.’” (Jackson 76). From beginning to end, the treacherous nature of humanity is revealed by Jackson; the lottery is about tradition, to be sure, but the tradition facilitates the animalistic need to take out our anger and violent urges on others. This is why, after all this time, the black box and the actual ritual itself has changed almost completely from its beginnings except for the part where the villagers get to stone someone to death. That is the part they wish to keep, and it is that essential part of human nature that Jackson highlights.
Considering the themes of tradition, violence and ritual that have pervaded the story, it is possible to read “The Lottery” as a tacit endorsement of said violence. The world and its characters are presented very matter-of-factly, giving the details of these events in an almost journalistic fashion. “The Lottery,” at times, reads like a travelogue, with little editorializing of the events that occur. That being said, it is interesting that Shirley Jackson did not make the story more of an overt polemic, a clear and explicitly stated condemnation of ritualistic violence and the mob mentality of communities. Without that statement of purpose, it could be just as easily said that Jackson wishes to advocate for this kind of adherence to ritual.
Despite these criticisms, the satirical and ironic elements of “The Lottery” make Jackson’s disdain for the practice clear. The objective, journalistic writing style is meant to shock the reader with its coldness; it also avoids polemic so as not to appear preachy or strident. Tessie’s shock at being chosen, and her horror as she is readied for death, is juxtaposed by the villager’s passionate commitment to murdering someone who was their friend a few minutes ago; this sort of material does not require editorial to be effective. By simply showing the “facts” of these events, Jackson trusts the reader to draw their own conclusions, believing in their ability to understand that these actions are not celebrated, but rather viewed with disgust.
“The Lottery” can be read as a fable or a parable of an evil inherent in humankind. The themes of tradition, humanity, and human evil show the risks of human conformity. Tradition is shown to be the central connective tissue of society, as it is regular communal events that keep a society together; however, the irony of Jackson’s ending is that these traditions require the most horrific sacrifices. Her story forces the reader to believe that the citizens of the village innocently participate in this cruel ritual and sacrifice, bringing up the issue of at what cost traditions are justified. The story demonstrates the danger of what happens when traditions are never questioned, Jackson turning this into a parable for critical thinking as well. The community does not protest in any meaningful way, apart from the occasional muttering or protest from the victim herself. The inexorable pull of the community toward a mob mentality turns men into monsters, as the ritualistic nature of the lottery brings out great evil in the villagers.
Works Cited
Bloom, Harold. Shirley Jackson. New York: Info Base Publishing, 2009. Print.
Gioia, Dana and X.J. Kennedy. Literature: An Introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, and writing.
New York: Pearson Longman Publishing, 2011. Print.
Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery and Other Stories. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1992.
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Kosenko, Peter. "A Reading of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery"." New Orleans Review 12.1
(1985): 27-32. Retrieved from http://home.netwood.net/kosenko/jackson.
