Religion In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Traditions are something that people inherit from their ancestors, which are passed down from generation to generation. Tradition also play a major role in society today. Shirley Jackson derides society’s way of frantically following certain rituals. Characteristics in “The Lottery” are used to create similarities with Catholicism, by harping on the fear of change but only the ability to manipulate what any individual from traditions and the basis of Catholicism’s belief of the innocence in children. “The Lottery” has also established a clear link to Catholicism inspiring individuals to open their eyes and question blind belief in most rituals that society wants one to believe in.

Catholic religion has been around for hundreds of years lasting

through wars and every Easter holiday. The author uses this venerable ritual to connect the characters in “The Lottery” to the Catholic religion because no matter how unusual this tradition may seem, it is still the test of time. Through the characters the author shows their opposition to give up the lottery indicating society’s fear of change. This fear of change is noticed mainly through Old Man Warner. He has witnessed more than seventy lotteries and have the belief that without the lottery everything would be different. When someone stated that other villages have stopped the lottery Old Man Warner exclaims that there is “nothing but trouble in that, pack of young fools,” (Jackson 297). By labeling them fools he is criticizing them for changing something that has always been.
For someone to follow this tradition their entire life, change could be dire to their civilization.

When Catholicism is practiced in a family children start attending church at a very young age. At age seven a child would also be baptized and receive their first communion (Reed para 4). According, to Hull Catholic families are verbally crucified for not following their religious tradition (hull para 3). By Old Man Warner stating other villages are fools for stopping the lottery he criticizes them for not following tradition. This is exactly what would happen in a catholic family, drawing similarities in people’s fear of change. Many families have the belief that their child’s world would change due to the lack of faith, but Old Man Warner and the townspeople believe that their community would be trouble without the

lottery.
This tradition that the townspeople supports, although cruel, stood the test of time and has been followed for a long time.

Shirley implicated that the village have the right to pick and choose what fundamentals of the lottery happens, drawing similarities with Catholicism. For example, Catholic churches are controlled by men the bishop, priest, deacon, and popes while supported by nuns who compared to the men have very little say so over anything. In “The Lottery” the people are similar with this kind of standing, ran by men and supported by the women. Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves protects the box, make the slips, and does the presentation ceremony for the lottery. If a woman husband draws a slip with a black dot on it, then the women would be allowed to participate in the lottery. However, if a woman husband is deceased or her oldest son is under the age of 16 is another way a woman would be selected to participate in the lottery. In Catholic masses the men are the priest and they perform the mass, in Catholic school men are seen to be more in control drawing similarities with “The Lottery”. “For example, Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey has four highly regarded educational standings, the Vice-Principle, President, Principle and Chaplain. The Chaplain, President and Principle are all held by men. The vice-principle who works and support the principle is the only woman working in the faculty” (Bergen Catholic). Men being in control is obvious and projecting

in both Catholic and “The Lottery”.
Religion and the lottery are two notions of society and Shirley’s fictitious society that are just impetuously followed. Jackson’s true meaning behind “The Lottery” is for society to ask themselves why do they believe in such traditions. Having no faith in anything except the lottery is exactly what Jackson characters are doing and what Catholics have in the face of Jesus. “The lottery maybe for heavier crops in June” (Jackson 295). While the Catholic religion is for a higher faith and ending. This is how Shirley takes society way forcing people to open their eyes. Shirley wants people to understand the similarities and do something positive and learn from what goes on in many traditions. Some things may not have the same violent ending, but if they have no purpose what is the cause for believing.