The Hutchinson Lottery

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Believing in something, such as God or gods, has always been part of human nature. A long time ago, when a lot religions were newer to the world, people were punished for their actions. For example, people who believed in Judaism could have been punished for adultery, being a wizard, rebelling against parents when already given a warning, etc. Anyone who disobeyed the laws would be punished by having rocks thrown at them. The townspeople would gather around and either watch or participate. In some ways, the citizens who disobeyed the law were being made an example of, but some people in the towns just liked to stone others. They wanted to see, and participate in the stoning every time. Not only is this seen in religious practices, centuries …show more content…

In the Hutchinson family, Tessie’s husband, Bill, tries to assert his dominance over her. He believes that she is his property, which means he gets to control her. Early in the short story, Tessie arrives late to the lottery because she forgot what day it was. Bill’s friends say to him, “‘Here comes your Missus, Hutchinson’” (Jackson 3). This shows how even the people around their family believe he has power over her. All of the power Bill asserts over Tessie proves his cruelness. Not only is this true, but, “The lottery also reinforces a village work ethic which distracts the villagers’ attention from the division of labor that keeps women powerless in their homes” (Kosenko). For cruelty to not be true, women would have to have some power somewhere in their life. Most women today, have shared power in their homes,it is not all dominated by men. Since Tessie does not have any control in her life, when she “dares to question the method of drawing, her husband tells her to shut up” (Themes). Again, he proves his dominance over her, governing her life, and showing his cruel humanity. Tessie also shows her human nature to people within her family. When the lottery is starting to take place and Tessie’s family is chosen, Mr. Summers asks who is included in their family lottery. Tessie yells, “‘There’s Don and Eva’... ‘Make them take their chance!’” (Jackson 5). She is trying to protect herself from …show more content…

In the beginning of the story, the boys collect rocks for the lottery. “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones” (Jackson 1). These types of stones are the best ones for throwing accurately (Coulthard). The human nature of cruelty is so evident in the community that even a little kid shows signs of its insensibility. Children are suppose to be so innocent and compassionate, but the cruelty and lack of relationships in this town, really gets to them. The children are not the only ones acting awful during the lottery, the grownups act horrible during it too. Earlier in the story, Mrs. Delacroix sounds nice to Tessie; but once Tessie’s name is called, Mrs. Delacroix grabs “a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands” (Jackson 7). She would rather kill someone instead of having a friendship. Not only does she want to kill someone who she could have a possible friendship with, but she wants it to be as painful as possible. This displays her true human nature, and also shows how aggressive unconnected people in this town can be. In the community, no matter someone's age or beliefs, their human nature of cruelty towards others in the community can be

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