The Lottery – College Essay Example

murder, which exemplifies the danger of blindly following tradition. Initially, the villagers and their preparations appear harmless, and we are unaware of the nature of the lottery they are conducting.

Even quaint: they’ve chosen a rather incompetent man to conduct the lottery, while children collect rocks in the town square. It appears that everyone is fixated on an unusual black box, and the lottery itself involves nothing more than handmade imitation tickets.

Tradition is a common feature in small towns, serving as a way to connect families and generations. Jackson, however, is an exception.

pigeon berries holes in the fear that people have for tradition. The writer notes that villagers lack deep understanding of the lottery's origins but still strive to maintain the tradition. The villagers' unquestioning belief in the lottery has ingrained ritual killing into their community. As evidenced, they perceive themselves as powerless to alter or attempt change, despite no external force compelling them to preserve the status quo.

Old Man Warner is deeply committed to the tradition and worries that the villagers may regress to primitive times if they cease the lottery. These regular individuals, who have just finished work or their other responsibilities, could easily harm someone when instructed to do so.

Despite lacking any justification other than the fact that they have always held a lottery to kill someone, the villagers do not question this practice. If they were to stop and question it, they would be compelled to ask themselves why they are committing murder. However, no one stops to inquire. The mere fact that it is a tradition is reason enough for them and provides them with sufficient justification. The villagers randomly persecute

individuals.

The victim, who has done nothing wrong except for picking the wrong slip of paper from a box, is considered guilty. The elaborate ritual of the lottery ensures that all villagers, including children, have an equal chance of becoming the victim. Every year, someone new is selected and killed, and no family is exempt from this danger.

"The Lottery" is particularly unsettling due to how quickly the villagers turn against the victim. In just an instant, Tessie Hutchinson makes a simple mistake by choosing the wrong piece of paper, and she goes from being a well-liked homemaker to losing her identity. Her friends and family join in the murder with as much enthusiasm as everyone else, completely ignoring Tessie in the midst of their persecution.

Despite having done nothing "wrong," her innocence is irrelevant. She has picked the marked paper, and she herself has become marked. According to the rules of the lottery, she must therefore die. Tessie's death is an extreme example of how societies can oppress innocent individuals for absurd reasons. Drawing contemporary parallels is not difficult.

Due to biases, regardless of whether they stem from race, sex, or visual appearance.

Religion, economic status, geographic location, and family background.

Persecution and discrimination, regardless of gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation, are essentially random. Those who face persecution are singled out due to an innate trait or characteristic that they have no control over. This could include being the "wrong" gender or belonging to an undesirable region within a country.

Similar to the villagers in "The Lottery", individuals in reality frequently subject others to persecution without questioning the reasoning behind it, merely because it aligns with societal expectations. Jackson asserts

that this persecution is essentially arbitrary.

Tessie's strange death is cosmopolitan because family bonds are a significant part of the lottery. However, the emphasis on family accentuates the inhumanity of the killings, as family members readily turn against each other. Family ties shape the structure and execution of the lottery in the town square.

Households gather in groups, with every member of the household required to be present. The lists include detailed information about the heads of households, as well as the families within those households and all of their members.

These lists decide who participates in the lottery and are crucial to its execution. However, these relationships become insignificant when it is time to kill the unfortunate person. As soon as it is evident that Tessie has drawn the marked paper, for example.

Her husband and children betray her, just like the other villagers. While family relationships dictate most aspects of the lottery, they do not guarantee loyalty or love once the lottery is finished. The lottery is governed by rules that are randomly obeyed or ignored. The elaborate rules followed by the villagers imply that the lottery is an efficient and rational ritual with a significant purpose.

Despite the regulations that have lapsed, it is nonetheless crucial to reveal the essential information pertaining to the lottery’s secretive decision, Mr.

Summers outlines a detailed protocol for managing errors in the paper and compiling summer household lists. He sets clear instructions for villagers regarding the commencement of the lottery, including assigning responsibility for removing incorrect pieces of paper from the black box and determining when to disclose them. In situations where an individual is unable to partake in the procedure.

According to

the lottery regulations, there are certain rules to be followed. However, there are also some regulations that have been ignored or intentionally abandoned over time. This includes the rules for greetings and songs that accompany Mr. Summer's appointment as the president of the lottery. The presence of some regulations and the absence of others highlights the disturbing chaos surrounding the murder at the end of the lottery.

The worn-out black box symbolizes the villagers' adherence to the lottery tradition, despite its insignificance. Despite being visibly deteriorated after years of use and storage, it remains an important object to the villagers. They hold onto it simply because of a story passed down, claiming that it was crafted from remnants of another box.

The lottery contains many old black boxes. These boxes, along with other relics from the past, have supposedly been handed down from previous years. Some examples include the creation of family lists and the use of rocks. These elements are all part of the tradition.

Despite the villagers' unwavering adherence to the way the lottery has always been conducted, it is worth noting that other lottery traditions have been altered or forgotten. One such change is the substitution of wood chips with slips of paper. It seems arbitrary for the villagers to remain loyal to the black box while disregarding other remnants and customs.

The villagers persist in conducting the lottery without any rational justification. This tradition represents any action, behavior, or belief that is unquestioningly transmitted from one generation to another.

Despite its illogical, strange, and cruel nature, the village has been conducting the lottery for as long as anyone can recall. It is an enduring tradition, an

annual ritual that no one has dared to challenge.

This lottery is such an integral part of the town's culture that it has a long-standing proverb associated with it: "Lottery in June. maize be heavy shortly."

"The villagers remain completely loyal to the lottery, or, at least, they convince themselves that they do, even though various aspects of the tradition have evolved or disappeared over time."

However, the lottery persists solely due to its long-standing existence. This tradition results in the annual participation in killing. "The Lottery" serves as an extreme example of the potential outcomes when traditions go unquestioned and are not critically examined by successive generations. Foreshadowing and suspense are evident through numerous seemingly harmless details within the story, hinting at the violent climax.

In the second paragraph, children place rocks in their pockets and create piles of rocks in the town square. This initially appears to be innocent drama, but the true purpose of the stones becomes clear at the end of the story. Tessie's late arrival at the lottery immediately distinguishes her from the rest of the crowd.

The text discusses Mr. Summers' observation about Tessie's destiny, stating, "Thought we were traveling to hold to acquire on without you," which is eerily accurate. Mr. Summers inquires if the Watson boy will draw for him and his mother, without providing a reason.

Watson is portrayed as different from other husbands and fathers, implying that he may have been the previous year's victim. Jackson creates suspense in "The Lottery" by withholding information and only revealing the true nature of the lottery when Tessie is stoned. Through the story, we gain insights into the lottery and the elements of tradition

that have either been preserved or forgotten.

We are introduced to the significance of the lottery to the villagers, especially Old Man Warner. We witness the entire ritual, listening to the names being called and observing the men selecting their slips of paper. However, Jackson never reveals the purpose or any kind of reward associated with the lottery.

As the lottery begins and the crowd grows nervous, she realizes that something is wrong. She further intensifies this feeling when Tessie hysterically protests Bill's "winning" choice. Additionally, she subtly hints at the villagers' memory of using rocks. However, it is not until a stone actually hits Tessie that Jackson fully reveals her hand, strategically withholding information until the last moment possible.

The author effectively builds suspense in the story and makes a shocking and powerful decision. Mr. Summers frequently discusses with the villagers the idea of replacing the box.

However, nobody wanted to disturb the long-standing tradition embodied by the black box, as indicated in this quote from the fifth paragraph of the story. This quote demonstrates the deep-seated attachment of the villagers to the traditional lottery and their strong aversion to any kind of change. There is no logical reason for the villagers' desire to preserve the deteriorating black box, except for a vague tale surrounding its origins.

Beyond shabby, the box hardly resembles a box anymore. However, the villagers, who take great pride in the ritual of the lottery, seem not to care about the box's appearance.

They simply desire for the box to remain unchanged. Their clear conviction that the box should not change indicates their fear of change itself, as if one change might lead to other

changes. Already, certain towns have ceased conducting lotteries.

However, it appears that these villagers are not moving in that direction. Instead, they cling to the elements of tradition that still exist, avoiding any change even in the seemingly insignificant aspects, out of fear of initiating a dangerous progression. Despite Mr. Summers and all the other villagers being well aware of the answer.

halfway through the narrative, just before the drawing of names begins, Mr. Summers, the functionary of the lottery, officially inquired about Mrs. Dunbar's son.

Horace will be supporting the household while Mr. Dunbar is away, despite the fact that everyone knows Horace is still very immature. The only purpose of the inquiry is to continue the tradition.

Mr. Summers abides by the regulation, even though it appears absurd, while other aspects of the ritual have changed or been discarded throughout history. This particular regulation inexplicably remains in place.

The vocals and salutations, which are large things, have been removed. The wooden French fries have been replaced with paper faux pas. However, this absurdity remains.

The ongoing pointless opposition persists, with the villagers showing a strong attachment to the tradition, especially Old Man Warner.

It is believed that tradition is inevitable and must be maintained, thus the lottery should continue. However, there is a lack of consistency in adhering to regulations, leading to a questionable observation of the ritual by the villagers. The tradition they claim to uphold is actually weak and disorganized, especially since they have forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box.

Despite their advancements, the villagers continued to rely on rocks. A citation found towards the end of the narrative captures the essence of the

lottery: killing. The villagers may discuss their adherence to tradition.

The ritual and history of the traditional parts have long been discarded, as this citation reveals. However, the original ritual and box may still carry the weight of tradition.

As violent and bizarre as it may be, the original furnishings, vocals, and process are now absent.

all that is left is the power. The inconsistent ritual. the places and fragments that have been combined into a semblance of the original. they have led to this crucial moment of slaughter.

The villagers are enthusiastically passing on the "tradition" for another year by eagerly collecting the rocks. However, when Tessie Hutchinson arrives late to the lottery and admits to forgetting the day, she immediately distinguishes herself from the other villagers as someone who is different and potentially poses a threat.

While the rest of the adult females calmly arrive at the square, chatting and standing by their husbands, Tessie arrives in a flustered and breathless state. The crowd clears a path for her to reunite with her family, and she and her husband good-naturedly endure teasing as she makes her way towards them. This takes place on a day when the villagers are solely focused on the lottery.

This breach of propriety seems inappropriate and even inexcusable -- everyone comes to the lottery, and everyone arrives on time. The only person absent is a man with a broken leg. Despite this, Tessie quickly blends into the crowd and participates in the lottery like everyone else. Jackson has portrayed her as a free spirit who was able to forget about the lottery completely while she carried out her tasks.

Tessie stands out as the only

villager who protests against the lottery, possibly because she is a free spirit. When the Hutchinson household draws the marked paper, she exclaims.

The ongoing chorus of "It wasn't carnival!" persists as Tessie is chosen and later stoned to death. Despite her pleas, the villagers, including Bill, choose to ignore her. It remains uncertain if Tessie would have protested the fairness of the lottery if her family had not been chosen, but this is irrelevant.

Regardless of her motive for speaking out, she is effectively silenced. Old Man Warner, the oldest male in town, has participated in 77 lotteries and strongly supports maintaining the status quo. He dismisses the towns and young people who have stopped holding lotteries as "crazy saps."

"The man is scared of change and believes irrationally that those who want to stop holding lotteries will soon want to live in caves, as if the lottery is the only thing keeping society stable. He also strongly believes in an old wives' tale, saying 'Lottery in June.'"

The text suggests that if the Michigan lottery is stopped, the villagers will have to eat "chickweed and acorns", which reminds them of a much earlier time.

When people hunted and gathered for their nutrient, these illogical, irrational frights reveal that Old Man Warner harbors a strong belief in superstitious notion. He easily accepts the manner things are because this is how they’ve ever been, and he believes any alteration to the position quo will take to disaster. This manner of thought shows how unsafe it is to follow tradition blindly.

Despite his breezy, blithe name, Mr. Summers holds a formidable amount of power in the small town, never questioning beliefs that

are passed down from one generation to the next.

Mr. Summers, a married, childless business owner, seems to possess a random power that has been assigned to him. The townsfolk view him as "jovial" but feel sorry for him because he has a difficult and unpleasant wife.

No one seems to question his leadership of the lottery, and it appears to have never been challenged. Perhaps he acquired the position himself or maybe someone offered it to him.

Regardless of the situation, Mr. Summers has full control. He not only selects the names during the lottery, but also creates the slips of paper used in the black box. It is his responsibility to create the black mark that ultimately condemns someone to death.

Mr. Summers is inexplicably revered by the villagers, and the expectation for him to continue conducting the lottery is just another puzzling yet universally embraced aspect of the tradition.