Oppression Of Women In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

​Today, women across the globe enjoy freedoms that were simply unimaginable in past years. They are able to participate in political matters and compete with men in areas that were previously male-dominated. While it is true that remarkable progress is still being made, there are millions of women who still endure oppression (White and Mont p. 145). The oppression takes the form of denial of basic rights. There are also women who suffer abuse in the hands of their partners. The oppression of women is one of the issues that Shirley Jackson must have sought to shed light on in her story The Lottery. In this story, she describes how members of a village conduct a lottery. In this essay, the representation of the oppression of women in the story

is explored.
​That women suffer oppression becomes clear in the initial stages of The Lottery.

Jackson describes how women showing up for the lottery joined their husband. She states that “they greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands.” (Jackson p. 1). While being required to join their husbands is not necessarily oppressive, it points to the inequalities that must have existed in the community that Jackson bases her story on. Across the globe, women still live under the shadow of their husbands and other men in their lives. The oppressive laws in Saudi Arabia serve as examples of institutionalized inequality and oppression. These laws stipulate that women are not to venture out into the public space without being in the company of a man (“Boxed In” par. 3). The laws even forbid women from driving. As is the case with the women in The Lottery, the women in Saudi Arabia endures oppression that is perpetrated by a patriarchal society. It is clear that Jackson wished to create awareness regarding the subjugation that women are subjected

to.
​In most cultures, girls and women are required to perform household chores (Joseph and Naǧmābādī p. 238). Those who defy this requirement and plunge themselves into the outside world are regarded as spoilt. The society in The Lottery is in the list of cultures that impose domestic chores on their women. Jackson uses the character of Tessie to highlight the fact that women are made to perform household chores. Tessie arrives late for the lottery and Mrs. Hutchison comments that she was concerned that Tessie would miss the lottery. Tessie replies that “wouldn’t have me leave m’dishes in the sink, now, would you…” (Jackson p. 2). It could be that Tessie actually chose to clean the dishes first before joining the others for the lottery. Even if this is true, the fact that she risked missing the lottery so that she is able to clean her dishes underscores the pressure that women face to perform domestic chores. The lottery is an annual event that holds great significance to the community. There are individuals who remark that the villages that are abandoning the lottery are made up of fools. This points to the importance that the community attached to the lottery. Therefore, it must be that the lottery was important and the fact that Tessie could have missed it highlights the oppression endured by women.
​Almost all societies across the globe are led and dominated by men. It is men who are consulted when important decisions need to be made. Women are usually voiceless and their opinions are irrelevant. This reality can be seen in political representation. Despite the fact that women constitute a majority share of the population, their representation in political leadership is disproportionately low (Boyce-Davies p. 24). It can be argued that societies oppress women and deny them the opportunity to participate in how they are governed. This is one of the arguments that Jackson appears to make in The Lottery. She uses the character of Janey to achieve this. Janey is Dunbar’s wife. She offers to represent Dunbar who is unable to participate in the lottery because he broke a foot (Jackson p. 3). Her offer is greeted with surprise. Mr. Summers wonders if she does not have a grown boy who can represent Dunbar (Jackson p. 3). Mr. Summer’s response represents the negative attitudes that women who aspire and work towards greatness deal with. Janey simply wishes to collect a piece of paper. This is a rather simple task. Why is it that a man must do it? The fact that Mr. Summer’s wondered if Janey has a big boy highlights the low faith and confidence that society has in women. They are mostly regarded as weak and incapable of performing basic tasks. Societies consider males, regardless of their age, to be better placed to perform these tasks. It is quite clear that one of the themes that Jackson wished to explore in The Lottery is the issue of the oppression of women.
​It is true that women are a marginalized group. For this reason, it would be expected that they would receive first priority. This is not the case. Instead of attending to such disadvantaged groups as women first, societies which are dominated by men tend to serve the selfish interests of the men first. The case of Turkey which recently considered a controversial new law comes to mind. The country mulled over whether to pass a new law that would allow men who defile young girls to escape penalty by marrying the girls (Strelivo par. 3). While this law was defeated following protests, the fact that it was even considered highlights the fact that marginalized groups face further injustice. The Lottery echoes the additional injustices that women put up with. Jackson mentions that women were at the back of the line in the lottery. She states that”… Mrs. Delacroix said to Mrs. Graves in the back row.” (Jackson p. 3) It cannot be stated with certainty that Mrs. Graves had been pushed back to the back row. However, given the overall theme of The Lottery and the fact that the interests of women are usually not prioritized, the argument that Mrs. Graves was placed at the back row is valid. It must be that Jackson wished to point the eyes of her audience to the injustices and oppression that women continue to suffer.
​Traditionally, women are charged with the mandate of supporting their husbands (Nault p. 96). They are supposed to sit back and cheer their husbands on. There are situations where women are forced to give up their career aspirations to accommodate the desires of their husbands. It is as though society thinks that the needs and desires of women are secondary to those of men. This is a point that Jackson seeks to drive home in the Lottery. The character of Mrs. Delacroix is used for this. Mrs. Delacroix states “There goes my old man” (Jackson p. 4). She says this as her husband proceeds to draw his lot in the lottery. While the actions of Mrs. Delacroix are noble and beautiful, they serve to reinforce the negative attitudes and oppression suffered by women. Who cheers her on as she draws her lot? No one. There is need for women to understand that they are part of the injustice that they suffer. They should realize that they have the right to determine their fate and they should not allow anyone to reduce them to spectators.
​From the discussion so far, it should be clear that Jackson set out to explore the injustices that women face.

The oppression that such women as Tessie suffer serves as additional evidence that Jackson wished to address the issue of injustice against women. After lots have been drawn, Tessie complains that the process was not fair (Jackson p. 5). Bill Hutchison asks her to shut up. Today, many women share in the pain that Tessie must have felt. When they raise genuine concerns, they are asked to shut up. There are many feminists who have faced opposition in their efforts to deliver freedoms for their fellow women. They are accused of being enemies of the family and asked to abandon their campaign (Zack p. 43). It cannot be refuted that Jackson truly desired to highlight the sense of helplessness that women who are not heard feel. Despite raising awareness about such issues as unfairness, they are asked to keep

quiet.
​Violence against women is one of the challenges that the globe grapples with today. Every year, millions of women are subjected to physical abuse that leaves them with scars which may never heal (Black et al. p. 485). The physical abuse that women suffer is one of the issues that Jackson explores in her larger discussion on the oppression of women. She describes how the people gathered around Tessie and began to stone her (Jackson p. 7). Even as she is being stoned, she continues to protests that the process of drawing lots was not fair. Tessie serves as a representation of the millions of women who are subjected to violence and condemned to death by unjust systems. Through the character of Tessie, Jackson manages to spark readers to seriously explore the injustice faced by women.
​In conclusion, women remain one of the most disadvantaged and marginalized groups. They are denied the opportunities and freedoms that men enjoy. The oppression of women is the main theme that Jackson explores in The Lottery. She shares the experiences of women who endure various forms of injustice. They are those who are made to perform household chores and others who are kept from representing their households. There are others who are denied a voice and subjected to physical abuse. The community in The Lottery reflects the situation in the globe today. There is need for the global community to come to the rescue of women by addressing the injustices that they face.