Traditions In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” brings up some interesting situations which reflect certain traditions from USA in the mid-20th century. Some people might say she is out of her mind to speak about these activities in this time period, but I say it was a bold statement and was able to allow her to express her mind.
The ‘lottery’ which is explained in this story is not what it seems to be at first. The story is responding to what used to be a very prominent tradition in the southern United States in the mid-20th century. The idea of this tradition, and others like it not mentioned, was that the sacrifice of a man or woman in the village would allow the crops to grow more and more each year. An example of how she is almost mocking this tradition

is in the names she chooses for the characters. Delacroix is the surname of a woman in the story, which means ‘cross’ or ‘of-the-cross’ in some interpretations. This is almost ironic in a way as Jackson shows in the end of the story when she says, “… Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands…” Some people may find no meaning in this sentence, but I say the fact that the woman whose name mean cross would select a stone so large she would have to pick it up with both hands, would be a very important detail. This shows a sense of a blind following within the community. This is assuming Mrs. Delacroix represents the Christian population, and that even this population would participate in this tradition.