THE LOTTERY, THE HEALTH THREATS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, THE CHIEF SOFTWARE ARCHITECT

The Lottery

            Throughout history, certain traditions and rituals have been able to dictate human behavior, even to the point where the person loses their sense of morality. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” tells us the story of a small, American town, set in the former half of the 20th century. On the outside, this settlement seems quite normal. It had roughly three hundred people, most of whom were farmers. The postmaster, Mr. Graves, was the leader of the town, seconded only by Mr. Summers, who owned the local coal business. However, despite the quaint atmosphere, this deceptively tranquil village has a single unscrupulous blemish. Every year, on the 27th of June, a lottery is held in the town. Despite the connotation, winning this lottery renders the individual far from fortunate. This lottery, in which every town member must participate, determines which person will be stoned by his fellow residents. This horrendous action is the result of a ritual which had been integrated into the society during previous generations. The townspeople had long since forgotten the significance, most of the details, and original intent of this ritual. They only remembered that every June 27th, they were to hold a lottery for the whole town, and brutally murder the winner.

Perhaps one of the most powerful attributes of tradition is its ability to induce obstinacy among its followers. Throughout the inhabitants of the town were unwilling to change even the slightest detail involving the lottery. When Mr. Summers suggested using a new box, due to the fact that the current one had deteriorated greatly, the citizens adamantly refused, because the box was supposedly made with pieces of the original box that was used when the first settlers of the town inhabited the region. Even in its weathered condition, this black box was a symbol to the town of the impending doom which awaited one unlucky individual every year. The townspeople were also very reluctant to switch from wooden blocks to paper slips as means of drawing for the lottery. However, with much persistence from Mr. Summers, the townspeople eventually conceded, because the town had grown too large for each piece of wood to fit in the box. The townspeople were also unyielding in the proceedings of choosing the lottery slip. Only on the rarest of occasions was a woman allowed to choose the slip for her family; it was customarily the job of the husband, or a son who was of age. This is demonstrated when Jane Dunbar’s husband was unable to attend the lottery due to a broken leg. It was very apparent that Jane felt out of place when she was drawing her ticket. The Watson family was fortunate enough to have a son who was old enough to draw for his father. The crowd favored this much more than a woman drawing, as they told Jack “Glad to see your mother’s got a man to do it.” The villagers were also very stubborn that the lottery remains a tradition in the community. The lottery had become so ingrained into their culture that they those who did not practice it to be uncivilized. Old Man Warner compared abolishing the lottery with living in caves and refusing to work. The surrounding villages which chose to end the lottery were referred to as a “pack of young fools” by him as well. Old Man Warner represents the most devout followers of a tradition. Though they do not seek leadership positions, they are resolute that if things have been practiced a certain way for a long period of time, then these thing ought not to be changed. Old Man Warner was upset with the fact that Mr. Summers was being jovial with the residents as they selected their lottery slip, because he believed that it was inappropriate for the lottery to not be held in an austere manner. He was also irritated with Nancy Hutchinson’s friends’ apprehension at the thought of her being the winner. Mercy and compassion clearly had no placed in the lottery.

The second, and most noticeable trait of this ritual, is its dehumanizing effect. The winner of this lottery is stoned by his own town. Friends and family show extreme callousness as they join the bloodthirsty crowd to stone one of their own. Moments before the lottery began, Mrs. Hutchinson had a friendly chat with Mrs. Delacroix. However, when Mrs. Hutchinson had been declared winner of the lottery, all previous illusions of friendship between the two had been erased. Mrs. Delacroix was sprinting towards her with the largest stone she could find, excited to have the chance to slaughter one who, just the day before, she would have called friend. As disturbing as this may be, it is not nearly as unnerving as the betrayal among family members. It is clear that these families had no love for one another. Rather, they saw each other simply as pawns which would reduce the likelihood of their being chosen at the lottery. Mr. Hutchinson’s final words to his wife were “Shut up, Tessie”. Mrs. Hutchinson, when she sees the possibility of herself being chosen, immediately tries to lessen her chances by asking that her married daughter choose as well. Her children, rather than expressing dismay over her imminent death, show pure jubilation when they see that their lives are spared. Towards the end of the story, children and adults alike join in stoning Mrs. Hutchinson. Even Little Dave, who may have been as young as five years old, was given pebbles to throw at his mother. This shows the desensitizing of murder which to town implants in the youth. From the time they can walk, kids were taught to join in the slaying of a human being, whether it was someone who they didn’t know, or a member of their own family.

This short story illustrates how tradition has the power to influence our lives in such a way that we lose the ability to know what is right and wrong. These people were conditioned to murder one person each year, simply because it was the way things had always been done. While there are also favorable aspects of ritual, they are not depicted in the short story. Jackson clearly strived to show the reader how dangerous tradition can be.