Essay Prompt #3 Can you imagine going to a town meeting once a year, with all of your friends, family, and loved ones. At this meeting one person is selected to be stoned to death, not only that but EVERYONE has to help. This brutal event is known as, The Lottery. Shirley Jackson describes the villagers that come to this event in her short story, The Lottery. The feelings of the villagers are often confusing, since they appear to want to keep this terrifying event going, even though they dread it. Some villagers show enthusiasm about this tradition, yet, the majority of the villagers are reluctant to participate in this incredible game of chance. Surprisingly, it appears that most villagers want the drawings to remain in tact.
One of the reasons that it is difficult to read the emotions of the characters is that enthusiasm shown
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Old Man Warner expresses this desire for the lottery to not end when responding to the news of some villages stopping the lottery by saying, “ nothing but trouble in that,” Old Man Warner said stoutly. “Pack of young fools.” Mr.Warner is basically saying it would be uncivilized to discontinue the lottery. This passage also refers to the fact that the younger generation is having thoughts of wanting to stop this tradition. Furthermore, many of the characters express their uneasiness with change, as Mr.Warner says, “There has always been a lottery.” This indicates the importance of tradition to the villagers.
The Lottery, demonstrates the complex feelings of a community engaging in a ritual event, in which they feel obligated to participate in. They appear to be experiencing a conflict with not breaking tradition with their fear of dying. Throughout this story there are numerous descriptions of characters dealing with anxiety, commitment, hope, and relief. The lottery stirs strong emotions within most of the characters Shirley Jackson