The Lottery Summary Essay

The Lottery In The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, the townspeople are partaking in an annual event that has been tradition in their community for a long time. This event is part of a blind tradition. The elements of this lottery which makes it a blind tradition is that it is held like any normal community event; the community is completely blind to the inhumanity of an annual ritual which involves human sacrifices, and the members question the lottery and its use, but still follow through with the entire process In the beginning of the short story, it tells how the children first gather in the square. The children play and talk with each other as they collect the “smoothest and roundest stones” (Jackson, 147). It is as if nothing serious is going on, on that particular day. Also, as the men start gathering in the square, they also take part in idle chatter. Even though they might be avoiding the topic of the lottery, nobody seems grieved about it. It is like a regular community event or meeting taking place in the square.
Furthermore, the townspeople know that one person will definitely be killed by their hands on that day. It says in the short story that the “villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool” (Jackson, 148) which on it was the black box that held the fate of one completely random member of that town; adults and children alike. Thus the people knew somewhere in their mind that it was an event to dread. However, they do not dread it as much as a regular person should because it has been taking place every year for so long. It is now a regular annual routine to sacrifice a person, and the townspeople are completely blind to the tragedy and inhumanity of those actions.
Also, when Mr. Hutchinson finds the black dot on his piece of paper, it is then, when the chosen household thinks of the event as unfair. The issue is that because it is a superstitious sacrifice to bring the town good fortune as they say, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” (Jackson, 149), people who question the lottery and its purposes are not given answers and simply ignored; or they are considered wrong for questioning an old tradition. Furthermore, the urge to fit into society also greatly contributes to the reason why people ignore the plain facts and the darkness behind the lottery.
The story proves that people may have tendencies to hold on to old, illogical and inhumane traditions despite the logical arguments against it. Therefore, the town follows a blind tradition and they need to recognize the wrong and annual murder they are committing.