The Customs We Uphold in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”

The Lottery, a short tale by Shirley Jackson, about an apparently peaceful community that really takes part in a terrible yearly “lottery” event. The protagonists in the novel mindlessly follow a custom that includes a lottery in which the winner is really stoned to death by the villagers, hence it may be said that the story belongs to the horror genre. Jackson brilliantly uses word choice to build tension throughout the whole novel. Jackson employs visuals to make the reader believe that everything is well in the little community he describes in “The Lottery.” The second paragraph of the story, where Jackson mentions that kids, including “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example,” foreshadows the violent death of “lottery winner” Tessie Hutchinson, also mentions how they “eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys” (103). Jackson explains the typical play and learning activities of children in a school, as well as how the kids fill up their pockets with stones that would be utilized in the climax (335). By detailing how everyone from the town starts to appear in the plaza and casually start talking, Jackson proceeds to develop the plot. The time period and place of the novel are crucial to the plot’s development because they show how human nature can act in such a savage way even under conditions of assumed everyday tranquility. In an article on “The Lottery,” American novelist Helen E. Nebeker explored the religious symbolism and anthropological aspects of the narrative, even connecting the summer season to ancient rites. The reader might suppose that, even when it concerns one’s own, caring community, following a tradition blindly without questioning or comprehending all the subtleties can be perilous.

The prose of “The Lottery” by Jackson is comparable to those of writers like mystery and horror specialist Stephen King. Jackson is regarded as a pioneer of enigmatic tales. Jackson was a role model for many women authors throughout the middle of the twentieth century, which was a time when males dominated the field, despite the fact that she was best recognized for her short story writing. The action in “The Lottery” occurs on June 27th, although there is no mention of a specific year, suggesting that this barbaric aspect of mankind is always possible. People from any kind of group might be said to be influenced by society’s norms in their thinking. In “The Lottery,” which tells a tale of shame and treachery with a generally sad tone about townspeople stoning a resident because of a continuous but ethically dubious and useless practice, this is vividly shown.

Tess Hutchinson, the “lottery winner,” and hence the target of the village stoning, is introduced to the reader by Jackson throughout the narrative. Jackson uses allegories in the speech between people to show how the locals’ attitudes regarding the village lottery are generally and apparently universal. Old Man Warner, for instance, expresses his view on the lottery by stating that there “used to be a saying ‘Lottery in June, corn will be heavy soon.’ First thing you know, we’d all be eating chickweed and acorns.” A lottery has always existed (340). The lottery practice is clearly accepted by the locals, who defend it as an important and beneficial aspect of their lives and community. In order to inform the reader that the other village has quit taking part in the lottery since it took too long—roughly two days—instead of their own town’s lottery, which lasted just two hours—another hamlet is briefly mentioned. The locals believe that the lottery should not be questioned, disregarding all other options or even contemplating discontinuing the lottery completely.

In conclusion, Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is a suspenseful and captivating work of literature. It casts a generally accurate and ominous light on society that may be connected to current events and sheds light on the vicious aspect of mankind that seeks to hide itself behind innocence. Jackson creates a cult classic tale that illustrates the horrifying and absurd acts of horror that take place inside traditions. The plot of the tale “The Lottery” hooks the reader in and reveals the truth about the village lottery at the conclusion while tease and hinting at wickedness throughout. Bill Hutchinson, Tess Hutchinson’s husband, revealed at the conclusion of the narrative that many traditions are faulty and dubious after selecting his own wife from the black box and killing her with the first stone hurled.