The Rural Community In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

"The Lottery" is a story written by Shirley Jackson. The story involves a small, rural community that has chosen to follow traditions that they do not fully understand. In a weird ending to the story, a woman wins the lottery, despite the fact that she forgot about it until the last moment. When I think of the word "lottery" it is usually linked to many positive connotations. I immediately think of millions of dollars. When I read the story, naturally I think "the lottery" is going to be something good, not something dark and sinister. Shirley Jackson, in her story “The Lottery”, uses seemingly ordinary details about the setting to emphasize her theme that although society claims to be civilized, and may appear so, it is inherently barbaric.

Jackson talks about the pleasant things that go on in the community, even though there is something obviously horrifying going on.

Jackson says a lot of pleasant things to trick the reader into thinking that this is a nice story. The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green”. She is showing the village to be this nice and wonderful place but in reality it is not. Jackson also has children running around and playing to show that this is just a normal village. “They tended to gather quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands”. Children are known for playing around, it is what they do. Jackson is using this to show that this village is just like any other place. Jackson has the crowd communicate with each other to show that they are all neighbors and friends. “Get up there, Bill”, “Mrs. Hutchinson said. and the people near her laughed.” Jackson is making the crowd out to be nice people who joke and laugh about minor

things.
In Jackson story there are a lot of obviously strange things that the villagers don’t pay attention to. “There had been, also, a ritual salute, which the official of the lottery had had use in…” When I think about lottery’s I just see a celebration and the prize winner getting there money, the villagers having a salute before the lottery winner wins is weird. Another disturbing fact in the story is when the winner is picked there is silence in the crowd. “You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair!” The family should be happy that they just won the lottery but instead they are angry and they are trying to get another turn. The story starts to get really horrific when Jackson starts describing what happens next. “Delcroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands…” This is supposed to be a lottery filled with happiness and joy but instead it is filled with hate, it seems like somebody is about to get stoned.
In conclusion society is not civilized but inherently barbaric. The villagers did not understand the tradition of the lottery but they blindly fallowed it. The lottery is supposed to be a happy event but instead this one is not, because every time it is hosted someone is stoned to death. They could chose to stop the lottery at any time but the lottery is the only thing they know, like Old Man Warner said “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon”.