Tradition As A Metaphor Of Death In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Following tradition is considered by many to be one of the most important aspects of life. Many follow traditions and celebrate holidays without a second thought, but when you take a moment to think about what the purpose of certain traditions are, are they really for the best? This is a question that Tessie Hutchinson is confronted with in “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson. The lottery is an annual event in villages, and it has become a way of life. However, this is not an exciting lottery with a money prize; it is a disturbing event that results in the death of the innocent. Such a tradition must have some meaning: I believe that the lottery is used as a metaphor for death.

The lottery itself is well described in the following quotes: “The lottery was conducted--as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program--by Mr. Summers. who had time and energy to devote to civic activities.” and, “A sudden hush fell on the crowd as Mr. Summers cleared his throat and

"’Pack of crazy 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 work any more, live that way for a while… There's always been a lottery,’ he added petulantly.” The new information confirms that the lottery is an event that not only takes place in the story’s village, but in other towns and villages as well. This, again, brings up the question of why it exists. The lottery is a tradition of course, but when you think about it, it can be seen as a metaphor for death. When Old Man Warner says that ‘there’s always been a lottery’, though he is referring to the tradition, Jackson uses the tradition as a reference to death. Death and destruction have been around forever, and giving up the lottery up may represent a plea for