The Lottery By Shirley Jackson Conformity Essay

It has always been a human nature for individuals in society to conform to their beliefs, morals, and authorities. Conformity allows one to feel recognizable within their social norms. Conformity is simply connected to cultural heritage. To briefly define cultural heritage; “it is an expression of the ways of living developed by a community and passed on from generation to generation, including customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions and values.” (http://www.cultureindevelopment.nl/cultural_heritage/what_is_cultural_heritage). Individuals in society are more likely to conform to their such traditions based on cultural heritage. In The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, writes how traditions plays a big role in a highly cultural inherent

village where everyone conform, which ultimately cause harm to individuals. The story present the lottery, which is a process of elimination of Tessie Hutchinson, who is unluckily selected to be murdered out of all the villagers who participated.

Shirley Jackson interprets how people obey to their traditions blindly leading others to conform in The Lottery, which create torture to Tessie Hutchinson, who was being eliminated. The symbolism of the black drawing box, the process of the overall lottery, and the transitions of close relationship to a total murderer represent conforming to traditions can cause harm to society.
The use of the black drawing box represents the traditions which the villages obey to for many years, the box suggests how individuals in society obey to their traditions blindly without considering the consequences it may cause. The black box is the main point of the whole process of the lottery because it is used to determine the death of an individual. All villagers are required to participate in this lottery. While the villagers are getting started for the lottery process, the narrator mentions, “The black box grew shabbier each year; by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded and stained.” (284). By describing the appearance of the black box, it symbolizes how the traditions has never been failed to process every year

because the black box becomes “shabbier” every year. The color, “black” usually considers as a dark and evil color, where there seems to be no hope. Where the “original wood color” compares to how human are born to be pure, and now being covered by the evil, like the box being colored black. The damage of the black box, “faded and stained” represents the traditions was still on going even though it has been extremely long. It shows how the villagers in the village are faithful to this traditions and will not give it up. When Mr. Adams tells Old Man Warner, who has participate to the lottery for the longest time, about other villages are considering to give up the lottery, he disagrees immediately by saying, “... ‘Pack of young fools,’ he said. ‘Listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them. Next thing you know, they’ll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody word any more, live that way for a while. Used to be saying about ‘Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.’ First thing you know, we’d all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There’s always been a lottery,’” (286). Old Man Warner disagrees to the point about other villages are canceling the lottery because he thinks it’s against it’s moral to reject such a permanent tradition. By saying “pack of young fools” is to emphasis how Old Man Warner’s anger to younger generations to give up the lottery. Old Man Warner believes by having the lottery is the way to help the village function properly and allow others to live comfortably, where he continues to conform to such traditions. The symbolism of the black box represents how traditions can be such a factor that can influence individuals to obey and conform even it is against their own belief and morals.
Through the chilling process of the lottery, it interprets a process of elimination and isolating a certain individual in society. The contributions of the lottery depicts a sort of conformity to their traditions. While people are getting started for the lottery, people seem to be excited and involved about it, where everyone in the village are there to participate. To get started for the lottery, “They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed” (283). Through this transition, it shows how the lottery has gotten more serious compared to the beginning. Villagers conform to the lottery and the regulations of it, where they follow each directions to participate. No one, however, disobey to the lottery because traditions teach them follow the rules. While the process of the lottery, each family are required to draw, and the environment of the whole process has become more serious. “‘Allen.’ Mr. Summers said. ‘Anderson…. Betham’... ‘Clark…. Delacroix.’” (286). By calling each names out, it represents how the villagers are waiting to enter the “death row” and waiting to be eliminated from their social norms. The whole process of the lottery makes people to be more conformed and obey because they believe they should follow their traditions. The obedience of the participants in the lottery can be harmful to all, because it’s basically murdering one person as a whole group. The participants in the lottery can be a murderer to that certain individual because they conform to the cruel tradition, where they can be considered as a murder. The process of the lottery, is basically a process of conformity to the tradition, where conforming to the tradition can be cause negative consequences to an individual.
The huge transition of relationship to a murderer suggest traditions can change and influence one’s mind, relating in society people involved in a tradition and giving up such close relationships. In the beginning of the lottery, Tessie Hutchinson arrived late at the lottery where she talks to Mrs.Delacroix and says, “‘Clean forgot what day it was,’ she said to Mrs. Delacroix, who stood next to her, and they both laughed softly. ‘Though my old man was out back stacking wood,’ Mrs. Hutchinson went on, ‘and then I looked out the window and the kids were gone, and then I remembered it was the twenty-seventh and came a -running.’ She dried her hands on her apron, and Mrs. Delacroix said ‘You’re in time, though. They’re still talking away up there’” (285). Through this conversation, it shows how Mrs. Hutchinson and Mrs. Delacroix seem to be quite friendly to each other, they seem to be friends and doesn't consist any type of hatred for each other. The tone of this quote shows how Mrs. Delacroix is willing to reply Mrs. Hutchinson, and doesn’t feel annoyed. However, as Mr. Hutchinson is selected, Mrs. Hutchinson claims how the Mr. Summers hasn’t given enough time for him to draw his ticket, Mrs. Delacroix simply says, “Be a good sport, Tessie” (287). Here, through this line, we are starting to see a transition in trust and relationship between the two. At the beginning of the lottery, when Mrs. Hutchinson hasn’t been nominated to be the one, Mrs. Delacroix seems to be quite friendly. Hence, after she claims her husband is being nominated, all of a sudden, Mrs. Delacroix complains how Mrs. Hutchinson doesn’t play should a “good sport” because she’s asking for a replay. This transition of the tone in this line shows how conforming to the tradition ultimately lead to poor relationship. At last, when Mrs. Hutchinson is finally the one who has to be murdered, “Mrs. Delacroix selected a stong so large she had to pick it up with both hands…” (289). As a friend before the lottery, she is considered as friendly who Mrs. Hutchinson can talk to. After the lottery, when Mrs. Hutchinson is the one who is being killed, Mrs. Delacroix eventually has transform to a different person, she “pick[s]” up the large stone in order to throw towards Mrs. Hutchinson. This extremely transition represents how conformity can change the relationship with other individuals harmly.
Although many may say conforming to traditions is the way to keep the family going, or keep the elders happy.

We as educated individuals should consider whether the traditions are correct or not. We must consider the consequences it may cause to us, society, as well as others. Traditions can sometimes be a great way to have a bond within the family, however, it can also be extremely harmful to the bond within the family. Traditions can be irrationally and harmful, this way, we as individuals must reconsider if we should take an act on it or not. Similar to “The Lottery”, the villagers conform blindly to their traditions which it causes an individual’s death and torture. This should not be the way we function the society, all individuals have different backgrounds and beliefs, and we must obey to our morals as well. Even if the tradition is required, we still have to judge whether it’s against our morals and beliefs or

not.
All in all, “The Lottery” presents many aspects of conformity as a whole in society. Villagers conform to their traditions blindly with no doubt and leading to one’s death. The symbolism of the black box represent their tradition, where the color black considered as evil. The process of the lottery represents the elimination as a whole and isolating individuals, because of conformity to their traditions, and lastly, the transition of relationships, where it caused one to totally change due to their conformity. Individuals in society should consider the consequences which conformity can cause to an individual before taking actions.