The Truth in the Lottery

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There are some things we as society will do without ever questioning why, for instance wishing on a shooting star into to get some good luck. Why do we do it? No one really has an answer for it, we just do. Traditions are something that is passed from generation to generation, even if we have no backing for what we do, we just know its “good” and its “tradition” so its apart of us. Shirley Jackson mocks our way of blindly following certain traditions. Characteristics of Jackson’s story create a parallel with Catholicism, by harping on our fear of change but our ability to manipulate what we want from our traditions and the basis of Catholicism’s belief of the innocence in children. Jackson uses friendly language among the villagers and in presentation of the lottery to illustrate the lottery as an event similar to square dances, Halloween programs, or any other welcomed, festive event (Jackson 365). This kind of speech does not prepare the reader for the dreadful ending, the reader might think the winner is receiving a prize or something of that manner and it is not tell the very end that the reader realizes the winner’s prize is death by their own friends and family. Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" was written to create an intentional parallel to Catholicism encouraging us to open our eyes and question our blind faith to follow traditions.

Shirley Jackson characters regardless of how violent their tradition is, they refuse to rid themselves of it, because of this Jackson is bringing up societies fear of change. This fear of change is seen primarily through Old Man Warner. He has seen over seventy seven Lotteries and believes that without one everything will be different. When someone says that other vill...

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...acticed out of tradition and of a superstitious faith.

Shirley Jackson wrote this story to make us ask why. Without question the members of the village brutally stone a fellow member to death. Why does society follows things with such blind faith. Blind faith is exactly what all of her characters in “The Lottery” are doing. Blind faith is what Catholics have in the face of Jesus. Things like “The Lottery” and in Catholicism are based on your faith in what will happen. The “Lottery” maybe for heavier crops in the month of June (Jackson 368). But Shirley Jackson is forcing us to open our eyes, things may not have a brutal ending, but if they have no rhyme or reason what is our cause for believing. Jackson reveals societies naive way to never ask questions, but satirizes our capabilities to discourage change yet embrace tweaks to longstanding traditions.

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