Shirley Jackson The Lottery Analysis

In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery”, she begins setting up conflict from the very first sentence. Jackson starts off by setting a beautiful scene of a clear and sunny day with green grass and blooming flowers as the backdrop for a horrific process, the lottery. The lottery is a long-standing tradition in the town and causes the members of the community to choose the love of family and friends or to conform to society expectations. The tradition is so entrenched that the community blindly accepts the lottery and allows a ritual murder to occur year after year. Through this tradition, Jackson sets up conflict in many different ways throughout the story.
For instance, the day starts off with the children collecting rocks while

the families started to gather together in the square. The narrator describes how this is just a normal ordinary thing for the town when he says; "The lottery was conducted as were square dances"(133). Therefore, this is thought to be just another event to attend at the square and nothing more. It is also said that it would not take long and everyone would be home in time for noon dinner, which suggests that the event is no big deal and they can easily return to their daily lives when it is over. Jackson gives such specific details, so much as to include the date, to relate to the readers and really immerse them into the story. She is creating a perfect setting and plot that a reader would want to be included. Even the title suggests that there is a winner and that there will be a happy ending. These details ground the story in reality and make the ending so surprising to the reader.
Furthermore, the fact that everyone gathers together having nonchalant conversations is another set up for conflict. The way that the families stick together in groups might suggest strong family bonds. Also, in the way that everyone is joking, having side conversations that relate to their daily lives and not seeming concerned with what is about to happen. As the lottery is about to start the narrator points out that, "Soft laughter ran through the crowd"(135), as if they're pulling a raffle ticket for a prize of some kind. However, once it is revealed that Mr. Hutchinson has pulled the marked ticket, Mrs. Hutchinson starts making a fuss and complaining it's not fair. No one is laughing or joking now. Conflict also arises when “a little girl whispers ‘I hope its not Nancy’”(138). This shows that everyone will cooperate apparently willingly but hope it's not them or their family or friends.
Nevertheless, once it has been determined who will be sacrificed, despite the love of family and friends, they conform to their society's expectation and norms. "Lottery in June corn be heavy soon,”(136) tells the reader that this is a sacrificial offering of one for the benefit of many. Any instinct to love your child or brother or wife or husband is completely abandoned for the sake of the tradition. The relationships between family members are essential for the lottery to be carried out correctly. Each member of the family must be present, and there are lists of the heads of families, members in the household, and other lists that determine who will drawer from the box and other important rules that are to be followed. Although these relationships may determine everything in the lottery, there is no guarantee that they will withstand the pressure of conforming to society and upholding tradition.
Moreover, the whole town is so focused on upholding the tradition that the reader must question if they even realize what the tradition itself consists of.

As Old Man Warner says “There’s always been a lottery”(136). Everyone is so accustomed to the lottery happening every year that it almost doesn't have an affect on him or her until they are the one chosen to be sacrificed. For example, Mrs. Hutchinson was joking with her husband about the dishes before the lottery started. Once her family drew the marked paper, she started to complain about it not being fair. The story ends with her screaming, “It isn’t fair, it isn’t right”(139) as they begin to stone her. All of a sudden, it was her family, then it was she, and it was all unfair. No one tries to change the tradition all though no one is really forcing him or her to keep it the

same.
In conclusion, everything about the opening descriptions of the villagers and their topics of conversation relate to a normal way of life in a small, rural town.

This sets up the reader for the shock at the end. Throughout the story, Jackson continues to incorporate conflict in many different ways. There was bound to be conflict when a whole towns tradition was based on a randomly selected citizen being stoned by the community for no other reason than it is tradition. The tradition itself also created conflict for each of the townspeople individually. Although the tradition was not being forced to continue being upheld by anyone, the town allowed it to continue over the years and create conflict in families. Families were choosing society over their own blood and allowed people of all ages stone someone, of any age, every single year. “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones”(138). This suggests that they lost the ritual part but violence still remains. The tradition has just turned into violence and the town is so blinded to the tradition that they are not even affected. Finally, the tradition has caused more damage and conflict to the town but the people are too blinded by the fact that it is tradition to make a change for the

better.