The Lottery, written by Shirley Jackson, is a short story presenting an event that occurs where someone is chosen from the town to be stoned every year. This “Lottery” that Jackson explains in the story is one that most of the townspeople believe is essential, but some believe to be pointless. The majority of the people in the town believe that this tradition is one that is essential because it has been done every since they remember, but Tessie Hutchinson, who’s family has had the plight of being chosen for the lottery, believes that it the tradition is done unfairly and does not understand why it needs to be done. The large majority of the society in this story believe that the lottery is an essential part of life and that getting rid of the lottery would be a capricious action that would lead to the end of their society. In one conversation portrayed in the story, Mr. Adams is telling Old Man Warner about the towns that are getting rid of the lottery. Old Man Warner replies to him by calling the group a “Pack of crazy fools” (Jackson, 1948, p. 268) and then saying that “There’s always been a lottery” (Jackson, 1948, p. 268). This comment made by the man shows that these townspeople could not even imagine life without the lottery taking place each year. Another example that shows how little the people even think about the lottery is by the way that they talk to one another while such a brutal event is taking place. At one point in the story, Mrs. Hutchinson jokes with her husband saying “Get up there, Bill” (Jackson, 1948, p. 268) and everyone laughs along with her. This shows how little the people of the town actually think about what happens when someone’s name is chosen. Since the people of the town do not actually think about the consequences of the lottery and only proceed with it
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Tessie’s first reply after her family has been chosen is that Mr. Summers did not give Bill Hutchinson “enough time to take any paper he wanted” (Jackson, 1948, p. 269). Tessie Hutchinson believes that the lottery has many disparities, especially since her family has been chosen to participate. Tessie Hutchinson, however, only really started to address the unfair system once her family was chosen for the stoning. When Tessie Hutchinson arrives at the square, she kicks off their conversation by joking around with Mrs. Delacroix by saying “Clean forgot what day it was,” (Jackson, 1948, p. 266) and then they both proceeded to laugh. This shows that Tessie’s views of the lottery were that of indifference until her family’s paper was found to be the one with the black dot. If Tessie’s family had not been chosen for the horrible lottery, then Tessie most likely would not have cared that someone was stoned, as long as it was not someone from her family. Instead of being the joking character that she was before the drawing, she instantly turns to anger and impugns Mr. Summers about the unfairness of the event once she learns of her family being drawn. Tessie Hutchinson makes a brazen attempt to convince Mr. Summers that the drawing was done unfairly and that her family should not be stoned, but in the end she realizes that her attempt at
Tessie’s first reply after her family has been chosen is that Mr. Summers did not give Bill Hutchinson “enough time to take any paper he wanted” (Jackson, 1948, p. 269). Tessie Hutchinson believes that the lottery has many disparities, especially since her family has been chosen to participate. Tessie Hutchinson, however, only really started to address the unfair system once her family was chosen for the stoning. When Tessie Hutchinson arrives at the square, she kicks off their conversation by joking around with Mrs. Delacroix by saying “Clean forgot what day it was,” (Jackson, 1948, p. 266) and then they both proceeded to laugh. This shows that Tessie’s views of the lottery were that of indifference until her family’s paper was found to be the one with the black dot. If Tessie’s family had not been chosen for the horrible lottery, then Tessie most likely would not have cared that someone was stoned, as long as it was not someone from her family. Instead of being the joking character that she was before the drawing, she instantly turns to anger and impugns Mr. Summers about the unfairness of the event once she learns of her family being drawn. Tessie Hutchinson makes a brazen attempt to convince Mr. Summers that the drawing was done unfairly and that her family should not be stoned, but in the end she realizes that her attempt at