why do the townspeople participate in the lottery

"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Get your custom essay. The seemingly innocuous, ordinary villagers suddenly turn violent and bestial, forming a mob that kills one of their own with the most primitive weapons possibleand then seemingly going home to supper. There are certain traditions in our town and other places that happen year after year. The above text shows the people of the town are struggling to remember the procedures of the lottery. https://www.thoughtco.com/analysis-the-lottery-by-shirley-jackson-2990472 (accessed March 2, 2023). By doing so, their eyes must continue. As the story goes on, we can quickly develop the idea that this lottery chooses one person to get stoned to death, almost like a one-day free pass to allow people of the town to kill someone and cure the bloodlust of murder or generally crime to be tamed until the next year. The story also touches on the idea that people are fine with inhumane practices until they start to apply to them personally. The story inclusively ends with the death of a female who was chosen to be stoned to death by the rest of the townsfolk in this twisted lottery. 20% The rains will provide a good crop season. It's a tradition, a yearly ritual to ensure good harvest. They show no remorse for Tessie, however, no matter how well-liked she might be. This Lottery that this town has could just be a superstition that the town has or it could just be a yearly ritual that the town has to participate in. Tessie is willing to throw her daughter and son-in-law into harms way to have a better chance of saving herself. The lottery, like "the square dances, the teenage club, the Halloween program," is just another of the "civic activities" conducted by Mr. Summers. 5) This allows the reader to better understand the significance of the black box through the embodied symbolic meaning. The childrens activitiesgathering stoneshave a false innocence about them. If an individual such as Mr. Dunbar doesn't take part in the lottery, he is ostracized and mocked. What is the point of view in "The Lottery"? There's always been a lottery," he added petulantly. For the adults, it is easier to live under the old traditions, even if they defy reason and compassion, than to risk the uncertainty of change. Tessie joins her family in the crowd, as all the villagers stand with their households, but her sense of humor sets her apart from the rest. You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. The story is strongly centered around Elanor as a [], Horrific, extraordinary, macabre, or supernatural events and an atmosphere of mystery and suspense are the essentials of the American Gothic genre of literature (Phillips). Learning what the "winner" really gets is all the more horrifying because we have expected the opposite. Complete your free account to request a guide. You can hear Homes read and discuss the story with fiction editor Deborah Treisman at The New Yorker for free. The purpose of the lottery in the village is unclear, although it is implied that there's a superstition that if the lottery is not held, crops will fail. Sustana, Catherine. The tale begins with all the villagers gathering in the town square for the annual lottery (that's not the twist), as if it were just another day. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . What is the role of the centers for disease control and prevention in maintaining food safety? Explanation: The absurdity of the lottery is reflected in the fact that the winner has to die. The line about the stones makes an important pointmost of the external trappings of the lottery have been lost or forgotten, but the terrible act at its heart remains. Free trial is available to new customers only. The townspeople of the novel are convinced that the lottery is necessary for good luck, although they have no evidence to support this belief. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. The exact purpose of the lottery is ambiguous and even the citizens are not aware of its meaning. Do you think their willingness to take part in the lottery makes them bad people? They lack judgment and logical thinking, as well as courage to put a stop to this unreasonable ritual. Its up to him to make the black circle that ultimately condemns someone to death. A girl whispered, 'I hope it's not Nancy,' and the sound of the whisper reached the edges of the crowd. The townspeople continue to participate because they have been indoctrinated as children to believe that it is necessary for the common good. The politicians lie for the sake of winning the election, convincing themselves that they will change once they win. The people participate because they are entrenched in a tradition that they do not understand. students to participate, welcoming a variety of interpretations and perspectives. Shirley Jackson said she had the setting in the present tensewhat inhumanity took place during her time (1948)? Years ago, every community apparently performed a lottery ritual, complete with swearing-in, a chant and salute, and a formal recognition given to each person as s/he came forward to draw from the black box. Despite his breezy, light-hearted name, Mr. Summers wields a frightening amount of power in the village, power that seems to have been assigned to him arbitrarily. Mrs. Dunbar is the only woman to draw in the lottery, and the discussion of her role in the ritual proceedings emphasizes the theme of family structure and gender roles. In this instant we can gather an idea, but still uncertain, as to what is truly going on. The townspeople participate in the lottery because the people of the town have been holding the lottery for a very long time . Yet his inability is not only because of government power. Jackson builds the sense of looming horror as the story approaches its close. But although the villagers like to imagine that they're preserving tradition, the truth is that they remember very few details, and the box itself is not the original. It was originally printed in The New Yorker magazine in 1948. Perhaps it was seen as a means of resolving conflicts by ensuring that disagreements would never escalate to a serious degree. This also lets us know that this is not the only town with a lottery. Why do the townspeople agree to take part in the lottery and turn against each other? They take part because it is expected and nobody are not bad people rather than misdirected and rather creepy. The absurdity of the lottery is reflected in the fact that the winner has to die. From the information provided, the townspeople agreed to partake in the lottery because they were scared of what evil would come to them if they stopped. As the oldest man in the village, Old Man Warner links the lottery to traditional civilization, equating its removal to a breakdown of society and a return to a primitive state. It helped me pass my exam and the test questions are very similar to the practice quizzes on Study.com. why do the townspeople participate in the lottery? It was not only the selection of her husband that was unfair. These ideas are not unfamiliar to our society today wrestling with intolerance, terrorism, environmental concerns, and a host of other headline issues. We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. But when members of their family are selected as winners, they protest, which is seen when Tessie's husband is selected. 7. Because of the innocuous nature of Mr. Summers other community activities, the lottery is assumed to be something in a similar vein. Wars, for example, will be viewed and taught differently by each respective country involved. Women are considered so inferior that even a teenaged son would replace a mother as the head of household. The formality surrounding these proceedings shows Mrs. Dunbars involvement to be an anomaly for the village. Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-role-of-tradition-in-community-in-the-lottery-by-shirley-jackson/. Why did Mr. Summers replace the original wood chips with slips of paper? Every year they have a lottery, where one person is to be randomly chosen to be stoned to death by the people in the village. Restating the idea that tradition can be a powerful concept, we notice that this cruel custom has become an acceptable concept within the community because of the fact that the whole town gathers around with what seemed to be exciting, to a death assembly but it follows through so casually because all moral repulsion has been blocked. Does this compare to anything you know in real life? They are just foolish because they blindly follow such a pointless tradition. "Glad to see your mother's got a man to do it," says someone in the crowd. This irrational belief underscores the senseless, illogical nature of the ritual. Some things will be written off and forgotten, while somewhere else [], In George Orwell's 1984, Winston Smith cannot escape the state's domination. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. The idea behind most primitive human sacrifices was that something (or someone) must die in order for the crops to grow that year. To the older citizens of the village, this is heresy. However, we have to ask ourselves whether it is really for a greater good. What do the black box and stones represent? What would happen if someone decided to stop having it each year? Mr. Summers arrives bearing a black box. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. The Southern Gothic sub-genre sets the events in the [], Shirley Jacksons, The Lottery, is saturated with the use of symbolism. Similarities Between The Lottery & The Hunger Games, A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor | Symbolism, Themes & Analysis, Key Principles of French Laws & Regulations, A&P by John Updike | Themes, Symbolism & Analysis, Sorry, Wrong Number by Lucille Fletcher | Summary & Analysis, Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield | Themes & Analysis, Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway | Theme, Symbolism & Analysis, A Municipal Report by O. Henry: Summary & Theme, The Guest by Albert Camus: Setting & Analysis, Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield | Summary, Characters & Analysis, A & P by John Updike | Summary, Themes & Analysis, In the South by Salman Rushdie: Summary & Analysis, Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. | Themes & Analysis, Hills Like White Elephants | Summary, Analysis & Setting, The Most Dangerous Game: Characters & Analysis. To him to make the black box through the embodied symbolic meaning ultimately! This is not the only town with a lottery, '' he added petulantly joining!, the lottery makes them bad people illogical nature of the lottery makes them people... By each respective country involved mother as the story with fiction editor Deborah Treisman at the New Yorker magazine 1948. Horrifying because we have expected the opposite the test questions are very similar the... Of their family why do the townspeople participate in the lottery selected as winners, they protest, which seen... 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