Conformity In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery
Particularly, when the readers start reading Shirley Jackson's “The Lottery” all seems normal and conformed. The villagers start to gather in the town's square where most, if not all the village functions happen like teen dances, celebrating different holidays. The expectations of the reader would not be any different, As the lottery is recognized as “A competition based on chance, in which numbered tickets are sold and prizes are given to the holders of numbers drawn at random; esp. such a competition as a means of raising money for the state or a charity. Also occas. as a mass noun: the action of playing in or running a lottery.” (OED)For example, in this instance, their civic duty is not a vote, or village decision, but it a process of elimination
by brutal stoning, for the strong harvest of corn soon. The reality is the villagers are sacrificing someone's life to ensure a good harvest. They have their civic duty to do, in contrast, sacrificing a person is not reality for this specific era, considering this story took place only 68 years ago. And stoning isn't mentioned in American history back as far as the 1900's, “Stoning is legal or practised in at least 15 countries or regions. And campaigners fear this barbaric form of execution may be on the rise, particularly in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq”. (INDEPENDENT)
by brutal stoning, for the strong harvest of corn soon. The reality is the villagers are sacrificing someone's life to ensure a good harvest. They have their civic duty to do, in contrast, sacrificing a person is not reality for this specific era, considering this story took place only 68 years ago. And stoning isn't mentioned in American history back as far as the 1900's, “Stoning is legal or practised in at least 15 countries or regions. And campaigners fear this barbaric form of execution may be on the rise, particularly in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq”. (INDEPENDENT)