The Lottery

“The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson is a classic tale about society’s aversion to change from tradition. On June 27th each year, a small town gathers together religiously for an annual lottery drawing. Jackson cleverly uses many symbolic events to foreshadow what the winner of the lottery actually wins.

The story opens with the gathering of the townsfolk in a place where “square dances, the teen-age club, [and] the Halloween program” were held, demonstrating that the townspeople seem very keen on the tradition of the town. The children are the first to assemble. Oddly enough, they are stuffing their pockets full of stones and setting them aside in a pile. What is the pile of stones are for? Why is it important to the story?

In this lottery, the townspeople pick pieces of paper out of a black box. The people of the small town read dread this day because as they began to gather, “their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed.” Tessie Hutchinson arrived late to join her family in line. The head of every family is told to draw