English 100
16 January 2001

Throughout the entire piece, "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, the reader is given a sense of false security in which the occasion is painted as joyous and eagerly anticipated by all. As the story begins, the reader is nestled into a blanket of security, picturing the town residents happy and anxiously awaiting the events about to unfold. The scene is picturesque as children laugh and play, the woman gather to talk of recent gossip which has enveloped the town while their husbands gather to deal with business pertaining to The Lottery.

All seems merry in a town where each person knows the next as more than a mere acquaintance. With the aura of joy surrounding the reader, the mention of tradition is brought into the story, showing the reader perhaps that the event, which happens annually, is a happy event, which is anxiously awaited by all the town's people. The use of the black box also shows tradition, which is assumed to be a happy tradition in which people look forward to. When the suggestion of ending the lottery is brought up by one of the characters, the idea is hastily quelled with the outrageous thought of stopping such a long running tradition.

Confusion quickly begins to cloud the scene when the ambiance quickly turns hushed and distressing as the winner of the lottery is chosen. Characters take a heartbroken tone to the 'winner', and the people are trying to get the event closed and finished as soon as possible. As the mention of the stones and pebbles are brought back into the story, the fire of confusion quickly explodes into a backdraft of merciless heat when the impossible realization hits the reader and the 'winner', who is a wife and mother, is murdered in the town square.

With the shocking conclusion, one begins to wonder, what spawned this awful ritual of singling out one person, then viciously killing him or her in cold blood? What possible choice did the town make which could have led to the idea that The Lottery was a mandatory event? With the idea of traditionally holding a lottery, as the town had done since first forming, those who still feel the lottery is necessary foresee a full harvest and bountiful crop. Perhaps the death of a single person each year is what keeps the masses of the town of three hundred from dying of starvation if the crops did not produce enough food for all.

The conclusion of the story was expected, but as the words were read, and the ending unfolded, surprise still filled the air. Though the lack of information at the beginning of the story would lead anyone to the conclusion of the events which were abut to take place, a lottery is usually a happy event with a reward of some sort for the one person chosen, though in this instance, the reward was to ensure the continuation of the rest of the town by sacrificing ones life.

Author's Note: if you want to read "The Lottery", go here. It's a really good story, and it's not very long...but don't forget to come back!