In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" she displays in a traumatic story the villagers need for a scapegoat, someone to punish for all their wrongs. Mrs. Hutchinson becoming the "winner" of the lottery was the scapegoat for the villagers in this story. There are several things in "The Lottery" used as symbolism, three of which are names, objects, and acts for which the scapegoat was used.
             Shirley Jackson uses the name Mr. Graves in her story as a symbol of death. He is also the one who helped to make up the slips of paper and put them in the box. Mr. Summers was a symbol of happiness and wealth. He owned the coal company and was the "leader" of the yearly lottery.
             The symbol of tradition was the black box that the villagers used every year to hold the papers that would tell of someone's fate. It was a symbol that no one wanted to be changed, it was stated "Every year, after the lottery, Mr. Summers began talking about a new box, but every year the subject was allowed to fade off without anything's being done" (84). It was seen in various places throughout the years that reminded everyone of the one day of the year that someone was to pay for all that was done wrong.
             There were symbolic acts that represented the evil of people. For example, a friend of Mrs. Hutchinson picks a big rock to throw. "Mrs. Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands" (89). Also the children were involved, this tradition was taught at a young age, and even Tessie's own son was involved in the killing of his mother. "The children had stones already, and someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles" (89). Then all was forgotten, the villager's went back to their business as if nothing had ever happened. This was a true act of evil portrayed in this story. Mrs. Hutchinson was a scapegoat for th
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