Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” was first published in 1948 in The New Yorker magazine. It generated a huge amount of controversy and negative response from readers at the time due to its disturbing subject matter. The story takes place in a small rural town and describes the annual ritualistic lottery held there each summer. A member of the community ends up being randomly chosen and then violently stoned to death by the other townspeople. “The Lottery” examines themes of violence, ritual, social conditioning, and mob mentality. Since its publication, it has become one of the most famous and discussed short stories in 20th century American fiction.
Summary of the Plot
The story opens on a warm summer day in a small rural village of about 300 residents. The townspeople have gathered in the town square to conduct their annual lottery. Children are playing and gathering stones while the adult townspeople chat casually with one another as they wait for the lottery to begin.
At 10 AM, Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves arrive to oversee the lottery proceedings. Mr. Summers is in charge of the actual lottery while Mr. Graves carries the traditional black wooden box used for the lottery ritual. The box is worn and splintered after many years of use but villagers are hesitant to replace it because keeping the box demonstrates how traditional the lottery is. Mr. Summers stirs up the papers inside the box to shuffle them before the drawing begins.
The heads of each household come forward to select a folded slip of paper from inside the box. Bill Hutchinson ends up selecting the paper with the ominous black spot on it, which signifies that his family has been chosen. His wife Tessie protests that the process wasn’t conducted fairly, but no one listens to her complaints.
Now that one family has been chosen, each member of the Hutchinson family must draw a slip of paper from the box to see which individual will “win” the lottery. Each Hutchinson family member opens their slip of paper, and Tessie ends up with the paper with the black spot. She again protests the unfairness of the process. However, the townspeople insist that the lottery must proceed as usual. Tessie’s protests quickly weaken into resigned silence as she accepts her fate.
As the townspeople grab stones to throw at Tessie, the children join them eagerly. Tessie is struck repeatedly with stones until she dies from the violent blows. After her death, the villagers promptly finish their business and return home, resuming their normal lives.
Key Elements of the Plot
- Takes place in a small rural village of about 300 residents
- The villagers hold an annual lottery using a worn black box
- Bill Hutchinson’s family is chosen in the first drawing
- Tessie Hutchinson is chosen in the second drawing among the family members
- Tessie protests the unfairness but the lottery proceeds
- The villagers violently stone Tessie to death
- After killing Tessie, the villagers return to their normal lives
Analysis of Key Themes
Mob Mentality and Conformity
The villagers demonstrate mob mentality and conformity in continuing the brutal tradition of the lottery year after year without question. They go along with the lottery despite the sinister nature of the practice because it is what has always been done in their community. There is tremendous social pressure to conform even if it requires violently murdering one of their neighbors each year. Jackson shows how humans can abandon morality and ethics to avoid becoming outsiders in a community.
Ritual and Tradition
The story explores how rituals and traditions can lose their meaning over time but people continue them due to social pressure and inertia. The villagers are unable to provide any rationale for the yearly lottery and its deadly consequence. It is an outdated practice continued simply because “it has always been done this way.” Jackson seems to critique mindless obedience to pointless traditions.
Randomness and Unpredictability of Persecution
By making the selection of the lottery winner entirely random, Jackson emphasizes the unpredictability around who may become a target of persecution by a community. The randomness of the lottery drawing parallels the randomness of persecution. The victim has no control over the fact they have been chosen and nothing they can do will change their fate.
Indifference to Violence and Cruelty
The casual, indifferent reaction of the villagers to the cruel stoning of Tessie demonstrates how communities can become desensitized to violence and barbaric practices. Their bored attitude highlights the potential for human moral principles to be eroded over time by rituals and mob mentality. Only Tessie recognizes the true horror of what is about to happen to her.
Critical Analysis
“The Lottery” generated controversy and negative responses when it was first published. Many readers cancelled their New Yorker subscriptions and sent hate mail to Jackson for writing such a violent and disturbing story. However, today it is considered a classic American short story that offers important commentary on human nature and society.
While the story initially shocked readers, it expertly uses subtle clues to create an atmosphere of unease and wrongness early on. Descriptions of the worn black box, the stones piled up nearby, and the fact that some townspeople keep their distance from the Hutchinson family when they are chosen all hint that something is not quite right with this event.
Jackson does an excellent job examining how traditions, rituals, conformity and mob mentality can override moral objections to violence. The villagers fail to treat the chosen victim as a human being who deserves mercy. Instead, they become a concept – the representation of the “lottery winner” – which allows them to avoid grappling with the morality of their actions. The story forces readers to confront how our own social conditioning can affect behavior.
Critical Assessment
- Considered a classic short story that generated controversy when first published
- Expertly uses subtle clues to create an unsettling atmosphere
- Provides social commentary on conformity, mob mentality, and violence
- Forces readers to examine their own social conditioning
Significance of the Story
“The Lottery” is significant for many reasons:
- It raised important questions about mindless conformity to traditions and rituals.
- It demonstrated how quickly mob mentality can lead to morally repugnant behavior.
- It showed the potential for communities to become desensitized to violence and cruelty.
- It displayed how persecution can happen randomly, heightening its terror.
- It was very controversial and shocked readers when it was published.
- It is one of the most prominent short stories published in 20th century American fiction.
The story’s ability to provoke strong reactions demonstrates its powerful examination of human nature. While shocking, it forces society to confront uncomfortable truths about the darkness potentially lurking within ourselves when mob mentality takes over.
Critical Responses Over Time
Responses to “The Lottery” have shifted over time as society and literary criticism has evolved.
Initial Response (1948)
The initial response was very negative, with outraged readers cancelling subscriptions and sending hate mail to The New Yorker and Jackson. The story was banned in some areas. Critics found the story unnecessarily brutal and disturbing.
Academic Response (1950s-1960s)
Early academic literary critics focused on the story as an allegory for the scapegoat ritual and as a criticism of thoughtless conformity to tradition. Structuralist critics examined repetitions and patterns in the text.
Feminist and Political Readings (1970s-1980s)
Feminist critics saw the story as examining women’s roles in society and the victimization of women. Political readings viewed the lottery as a metaphor for the dangers of totalitarian regimes.
Modern Response
Today the story is highly acclaimed as a thought-provoking examination of mob mentality, violence, and social conditioning. It is widely taught in schools and considered one of the best American short stories.
Discussion Questions
Here are some discussion questions about “The Lottery”:
- Why do you think Jackson chose the title “The Lottery?” What is the significance of the title?
- How does the literary technique of dramatic irony help build suspense in the story?
- What is the symbolic significance of the black box used in the lottery ritual?
- How does the setting of a small rural village highlight the story’s themes?
- Is Tessie a sympathetic character? Why or why not?
- Why doesn’t anyone in the village question or try to stop the lottery?
- What critiques about society and human nature does the story make?
- How did your perceptions of the story change between the beginning and the end?
Key Symbols in the Story
Here are some of the key symbols used in “The Lottery” and their significance:
| Symbol | Significance |
|---|---|
| The black box | The black box represents the tradition of the lottery itself. Its faded color and splintered condition symbolize how the true meaning behind the lottery has been lost over many years. |
| Stones | The stones piled up nearby that the villagers use to brutally stone the victim to death underscore the senseless, violent nature of the lottery ritual. |
| Agriculture and farming setting | The peaceful farming setting contrasts starkly with the horrific events to highlight how evil rituals can become normalized over time. |
Key Quotes from the Story
Here are some important quotes from “The Lottery” and analysis of their significance:
“The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day.”
This pleasant opening line immediately establishes a peaceful, pastoral setting that contrasts with the horror to come. It highlights how something terrifying can occur even in an idyllic environment.
“Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones.”
This early detail foreshadows how the seemingly innocent children will enthusiastically participate in the brutal ritual, already grabbing stones to use as weapons.
“Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones.”
This quote demonstrates how the true purpose of rituals can be lost over time, yet people blindly continue them out of habit and social pressure to conform.
“‘It isn’t fair, it isn’t right,’ Mrs. Hutchinson screamed.”
Tessie’s desperate protests highlight how she is the only villager who recognizes the fundamental immorality of the lottery practice.
“Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her.”
The description of Tessie’s desperate pleas before the villagers attack her makes the violence disturbingly vivid and real.
Conclusion
In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson memorably explores themes of violence, mob mentality, and the dangers of blind conformity to traditions. The story packs a huge impact due to its shocking twist ending, which reveals the true nature of the lottery ritual. Through subtle world-building and an expertly crafted gradual buildup of unease, Jackson exposes the darkest parts of human nature that allow communities to devolve into deadly madness. The story remains hugely influential and is considered a timeless literary examination of the human capacity for evil. Its ability to horrify reminds us to always question traditions and rituals and stand up to mob mentality, no matter how normalized it may have become in a community.