The Lottery Ritual
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson focuses on the annual ritual killing of one person and the characters’ behavior during this event. From the standpoint of modern civilized society, the killing is simply evil, and therefore this mindset may be projected onto the characters. However, the lottery is not seen by the townspeople as a necessary evil merely because it is part of the ritual. The ritual itself could not justify such violence if most people opposed it. Violence is inherent in human nature, and the ritual exist only as a justification for the townspeople to partake in their violent tendencies.
Although each character is understandably nervous about being selected, most characters in the story seem to look forward to the lottery. …show more content…
The original paraphernalia for the drawing had been lost, and the black box used in the ritual is not the original black box. This newer box is rumored to be made from pieces of the original box, but is clearly not valued as a ritual item- it was stored “one year in Mr. Grave’s barn and another year underfoot in the post office, and sometimes it was set on a shelf in the Martin grocery.” The box was also dilapidated and splintering, which is a sharp contrast to often glorified ritual objects. The original chips of wood were replaced with paper for the drawing. The form of the ritual was also neglected over time. At one time, there was allegedly a recited chant as well as a ritual salute, both of which were abandoned. Jackson makes the focus on violence even more blatant near the end by writing “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual … , they still remembered to use stones.”
The violent nature shown in “The Lottery” is made relevant to all people. Jackson opens the story by describing a typical town setting that many people could recognize. There is mention of a town square, a post office, a bank, and a school. The townsfolk casually discuss the weather, tractors, and taxes, and mention that they wish to be done with the lottery in time for noon dinner. This creates the image of a typical society, as opposed to a singular society with twisted beliefs. As such, violence is shown as a tendency that all people have, even within civilized and peaceful
Although each character is understandably nervous about being selected, most characters in the story seem to look forward to the lottery. …show more content…
The original paraphernalia for the drawing had been lost, and the black box used in the ritual is not the original black box. This newer box is rumored to be made from pieces of the original box, but is clearly not valued as a ritual item- it was stored “one year in Mr. Grave’s barn and another year underfoot in the post office, and sometimes it was set on a shelf in the Martin grocery.” The box was also dilapidated and splintering, which is a sharp contrast to often glorified ritual objects. The original chips of wood were replaced with paper for the drawing. The form of the ritual was also neglected over time. At one time, there was allegedly a recited chant as well as a ritual salute, both of which were abandoned. Jackson makes the focus on violence even more blatant near the end by writing “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual … , they still remembered to use stones.”
The violent nature shown in “The Lottery” is made relevant to all people. Jackson opens the story by describing a typical town setting that many people could recognize. There is mention of a town square, a post office, a bank, and a school. The townsfolk casually discuss the weather, tractors, and taxes, and mention that they wish to be done with the lottery in time for noon dinner. This creates the image of a typical society, as opposed to a singular society with twisted beliefs. As such, violence is shown as a tendency that all people have, even within civilized and peaceful