Gender In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

In tradition, The Tyrant Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is many readers’ gateway to the gothic. Since its original publication in The New Yorker in 1948, the story has been an influential and controversial piece of the literary canon. By placing extreme darkness in an inconspicuous setting, the twisted tale forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about violence in society. The story shows how this deep-rooted tradition is the foundation of learned social behavior, how even sinister traditions are upheld, and used to gain power, and how deviance from the norm is punished. Through these motifs, Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” illuminates how traditions of violence are exploited as a means of social control. Jackson, like all great writers,

These ideals about gender are described in every part of the story. In the beginning, while the boys gather stones, the girls sit idly by and chat. When the adults arrive, the men discuss economics while the women “[exchange] a bit of gossip” (Jackson). These interactions represent pervasive ideas about the gender roles that structure society. When it comes time to begin the drawing, patriarchs represent families. This is so essential to the ritual that when a woman says she must draw in place of her husband, there is an interaction amongst the townfolk that indicates her substitution will put the formality of the action into question–so much so that people suggest that her teenage son should conduct the drawing instead (Jackson). This clearly illustrates the devaluation of this community and in real life. Scholars have noted that Jackson’s stories often display women as “vulnerable” due to the ways oppressive traditions restrict them (Heller). “The Lottery” contains clear commentary on how tradition maintains hierarchical power structures, through the example of gender

Jackson’s writing seems to reflect the influence of that recent war and seeks to remind people of the ways that violence still permeates humanity. Hitler’s horrific treatment of the Jewish people and others during World War II is one of the most recognizable examples of scapegoating leading to brutality. This is exactly what happens to the victims of the lottery every year. As in real life, scapegoating in the story helps maintain “social order” (Heller). The citizens of the village justify participation in the lottery by saying that it is the tradition, not something to be questioned or opposed.. This is the same way Nazi soldiers participated in the Holocaust—violence and oppression against Jewish people and other groups was customary. There is a clear cyclical nature in societies, where violence is enacted in the name of tradition and that violence continues the tradition itself. When traditions of violence are upheld, societies are prevented from moving forward and progress is stunted. Maintaining the status quo benefits those at the top of the hierarchy and keeps those below compliant. Traditionalists are often critical of