The Lottery Short Summary and Cultural Insights
The Lottery is a famous short story by Shirley Jackson that depicts a small town\“s annual ritual where one person is selected by random drawing to be stoned to death by the community. The story begins with a peaceful description of a typical summer day in a small American town, where residents gather for the annual lottery ceremony.As the story progresses, the tension builds as each family draws slips of paper from the black box. The Hutchinson family draws the marked paper, and then each family member draws again. Tessie Hutchinson draws the paper with the black spot, marking her as the sacrificial victim. The story ends with the townspeople, including her own family members, stoning her to death while she protests that the process isn\“t fair.
Jackson uses this shocking narrative to critique blind adherence to tradition, the dangers of mob mentality, and the potential for violence that lies beneath the surface of civilized society. The story serves as a powerful commentary on how communities can perpetuate cruel practices simply because they\“ve always done so, without questioning their morality or purpose.
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