The Graceless Tradition Each year, murder is committed and supported by the villagers as part of an uncivilized tradition. The inhabitants of the village watch in suspense as their family members make their way to the stage, unaware that the lottery could pick any one of them. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson uses archetypal symbols to highlight the barbaric nature of society when people follow and outdated tradition. Jackson uses various archetypal patterns to highlight the significance of the symbols. Firstly, the lottery serves as an archaic tradition, and the black box represents a ritual with death as the outcome. In addition, a loss of innocence is evident as the boys collect stones for the lottery and when little Davy Hutchinson is given a stone to throw at his mother. …show more content…
The lottery is a merciless tradition that has been inherited from generations past. This becomes noticeable as Old Man Warner petulantly argues that “there's always been a lottery” (Jackson). The villagers do not want to give up what they are accustomed to even though it means that someone is going to die. The primitive nature of the villagers stems back to generations ago when the lottery was practiced. Moreover, the black box is one of the only remaining artifacts that connects the villagers to their tradition. The black box represents death in the community as society will not abandon their custom. This is emphasized as the narrator notes “no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box” (Jackson). The color of the box is symbolic because it represents an evil tendency resulting in death. Even though the black box is decrepit, the villagers do not feel comfortable giving it up as it is part of their