In the short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, the black box is presented as an object that nobody wishes to associate with. The fact that the box is colored black and the lack of enthusiasm from crowd hints the reader there may be a much more to the box than what you can visualize. Jackson states, “The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool,” (Jackson 1). This initial reaction from the people tells the reader that the box could symbolize something. When speaking of the box, there is a shift in tone that makes the text seem more distraught and frantic. The line, “no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box,” (Jackson 1) shows the strong linkage of tradition and