Shirley Jackson's story "The Lottery" opens on the morning of June 27th. The children of the village assemble to talk and play. Bobby Martin leads the other boys in selecting smooth stones to pile up. The men begin to gather away from the pile of stones speaking quietly to each other. The women arrive and, after exchanging bits of gossip, stand with their husbands. Mr. Summers, who conducts the lottery, arrives in the square with the large black box. Mr. Summers begins to stir the papers within the box. Mrs. Hutchison arrives late and receives much teasing. In her defense Mrs. Hutchison replies, "Wouldn't have me leave m'dishes in the sink, now would you, Joe?" (531). Mr. Summers begins to call off the names of the head of families. The men come up to draw a slip of paper from the box. While the drawing is going on the villagers talk of other villages doing away with the lottery. Old Man Warner dismisses this idea. The men finish drawing and all begin to check their slips. The crowd begins to murmur, "It's Hutchison. It's Bill. Bill Hutchison's got it" (533). Mrs. Hutchison begins to argue and pleads with Mr. Summers that Bill did not have enough time and the drawing was not fair. Each member of the Hutchison family draws again. Mrs. Hutchison draws the slip of paper with the black spot. The villagers grab the stones and descent upon Mrs. Hutchison ignoring her screams of "It ain't fair" (534). Shirley Jackson's cautionary tale shows the violent ends people will go to protect a tradition.
             Mrs. Hutchison is the protagonist of the story. She represents the struggle to change tradition. Her continued questioning over the fairness of the lottery is not an attempt to the end the barbaric tradition, but rather a selfish attempt to save her family and herself. She represented one of the few people, among a sea of many ruled by tradition and...