Lottery is a game of chance in which numbers are drawn to win prizes. People buy tickets for a fixed amount of money, either for a single prize or to enter a drawing for many different prizes. The game has been popular with people since ancient times. In the modern era, state governments have organized and run lotteries to raise funds for public purposes. In the United States, the lottery is a popular form of gambling that raises billions of dollars each year. Whether or not the game is fair, people continue to participate. The story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson illustrates how a simple act of chance can lead to cruel and inhumane consequences. It highlights the arbitrary nature of fate and encourages readers to question traditions that can inflict harm.
The story opens with a description of a picturesque village filled with well-maintained homes and a sense of community harmony. The narrator then mentions the town square, where the lottery takes place. This idyllic setting lulls both the characters and readers into a false sense of security, making it all the more shocking when the lottery’s outcome is revealed.
A man named Mr. Summers is introduced as the organizer of the lottery and its master of ceremonies. He is carrying a black box that he sets on a three-legged stool in the center of the town square. The narrator explains that the villagers believe this particular box is part of an older original (lottery) paraphernalia that has been lost. The villagers respect the box because it confers a tradition of the lottery.
As each person in the town gathers in the square, the narrator reminds them that they must draw a slip of paper from the box to determine their fate. Everyone does so, including Tessie Hutchinson, a widow who is pregnant with her fifth child. The villagers then converge on her and begin to hurl stones at her.
Jackson’s portrayal of the lottery in the village reveals how harmful it can be when people blindly follow outdated traditions and rituals. In this case, the villagers are unable to recognize that their violent actions against Tessie are cruel and inhumane. The villagers’ disregard for her shows that they care only about their own self-interest, rather than the welfare of their neighbors.
The villagers’ behavior also illustrates how much a state’s lotteries are dependent on large, generalized constituencies for their support. These include convenience store operators; lottery suppliers (who often make substantial contributions to state political campaigns); teachers (who are eager to receive earmarked lottery revenues); and state legislators, who can easily become accustomed to the lucrative tax revenue the lottery generates. This dynamic can create a vicious cycle in which the lottery grows dramatically at first but then begins to plateau or even decline, as a result of increasing competition and player boredom with the same old games. To sustain and increase revenues, the lottery tries to innovate by adding new games.