Sacrifice And Human Nature In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Prompt 1: Sacrifice and Human Nature

In this paper, I will be comparing and contrasting the understanding of sacrifice and human nature in the context of Genesis 22:1-19 in the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. I will begin by exploring how desensitization to actions through repetition is a natural aspect of human nature. “The Lottery” provides insights into how repeated acts can shape our responses and perceptions. Additionally, I will explore evidence that demonstrates how our responses to higher entities or institutions are influenced by our culture. Genesis 22 (Abraham’s binding of Isaac) provides a compelling image of how societal norms and beliefs can impact our behavior and decisions,

Mob mentality causes people to adopt the behaviors of those around them, often disregarding their individual feelings. The story demonstrates how people adapt to the behaviors of others in their community because the repetitive act of stoning a person to death has desensitized the townspeople. This repetition prevents them from critically evaluating their actions. We witness this desensitization through the eerie and cheerful interactions between the townspeople (Jackson 1). Tessie Hutchinson arrives late to the gathering because she forgets what day it is, forgetting that a person from her town is stoned to death annually (Jackson 4). Mr. Summers urges everyone to settle down and get the lottery over with so they can all resume their everyday tasks (Jackson 4). This made me wonder what the walk home must have been like for Mr. Hutchinson and the children after Tessie's death—the sight of a sink full of lathered dishes left by a woman who believed she was coming back. Unfortunately, desensitization to horrific actions is a common human characteristic. As we see outside of a ritualistic perspective, shootings have become so prevalent in the United States that the threshold for a large public response gets higher after each massacre. We can observe that even the simplest scary act becomes less provoking when repeated. This adaptation to our environment is a wired trait in humans, to the point where

"The Lottery" and Genesis 22 show us that a sacrifice is an exchange. In "The Lottery," Tessie's stoning is perceived as a sacrifice to ensure bountiful harvest and prosperity for the town (Jackson 7). In Genesis 22, Abraham's initial sacrifice is intended to be his son Isaac, but ultimately, Isaac was exchanged for a ram. As a result of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac, God promised to bless Abraham with many descendants because he was willing to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:17-18). Regarding the relationship of consent between the sacrificer and the one being sacrificed, we observe that human sacrifice is often motivated by fear and potential gain. In "The Lottery," Tessie did not give her individual consent when she was chosen to be stoned (Jackson 11). Instead, her residence in the town is seen as implicit consent to participate in the ritual, which the people view as a necessary tax for enjoying the town’s amenities. Mr. Hutchinson's reaction, snatching the paper from Tessie's hand and telling her to "Shut up" (Jackson 8), suggests that not having a sacrifice was more threatening to him than Tessie's death, despite her being the mother of his children. This raises the question of whether Mr. Hutchinson would have killed his wife outside of the context of the Lottery. As a loving husband, he might have sacrificed himself to save his wife's life. However, the reputation and