Shirley Jackson’s The Lotteryis short story first published in 1948 as part of an issue of The New Yorker. It is regarded as one of the most popular short stories in American literature. It explores the story of a small town and their annual ritual referred to as the lottery. Within this village, residents gather every year wherein they put all their names in black box. The next morning, the townspeople would once again assemble to draw a name who is unfortunately stoned to death. At the heart of the narrative are the themes of death, tradition, and the consequences of blindly following a ritual.
Tradition is a theme that is first explored in the narrative. In the story, it is evident how the villagers give so much importance and reverence to their annual tradition. At the beginning of the story, the preparations of the villagers seems to be something that they do every year as each one knows and are preoccupied their tasks . it is notable however, that the reverence of the people for this ritual is peculiar despite the fact that they do not know its origins. Nonetheless, the townspeople continue to pursue this custom which always results to a murder. Sadly this ritual has become a part of their town’s social fabric which in turn causes them to blindly follow this. Another interesting point is the fact that there is no particular and rational explanation behind this ritual; and yet the villagers feel as if they are powerless to change this cruel practice This foolish practice is best represented by Old Man Warner who is so faithful to the annual lottery. He firmly believes that the people will return to their old and primitive ways should they stop this tradition.
In the same way, the theme of death is prevalent throughout the story. Within the sotry, it seems as if the entire villagers already knew that they are preparing for the death of someone. Many details of the story point out to this. For example, the second part tells how the children are collecting stones and keeping them in their pocket. They similarly pile the stones that they have collected in the town square which is seemingly an innocent act. However, its true purpose is soon revealed at the end of the narrative. Another part of the story which foreshadows a violent death is the late arrival Tessie. The very fact that she arrived later than everyone else immediately sets her apart from the crowd. In fact, her dark fate is somewhat predicted by Mr. Summers when he says: “Thought we were going to have to get on without you” (Jackson 15). Interestingly, Jackson never tells the readers the purpose of the lottery. And by withholding details until the last part of the narrative, a sense of suspense is created which results to a powerful yet cruel conclusion.
Ultimately, the end of Tessie’s life is the best and most extreme example of the theme of death. It is interesting how the villagers, despite the fact that they already forgot the origin of the ritual, seemed to know instinctively that purpose of the stones. Sadly however, the stones were used to senselessly kill a member of their village. And in this part of the story, the author makes it clear that death, even death from violent means, is but a natural part of life.
Based on the points provided, it can be concluded that Jackson’s The Lottery explores the major themes of ritual and death. Within the story, the author exposes these themes through the actions of the characters. Ritual for example, is evident in the villagers and their preoccupation with the preparations. In the same way, death is exemplified by the stoning of Tessie by the villagers.
Works Cited
Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. NY: The Creative Company, 2008