"The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson is about a small community that has an outdated yearly tradition. Residents of a small New England community gather on the morning of June 27 in the town square to participate in the yearly lottery. The sun is shinning and the children are playing while everyone waits for Mr. Summers, the conductor of the lottery, and the black wooden box from which everyone is to draw a folded slip of paper from. To play the lottery everyone is to draw a slip of paper from the black box, and the lucky one with the black dot on it is to receive all of the lottery proceeds. Over the years the rules and the regulations of the lottery have stayed the same, with the exception of a few minor changes: wood chips were replaced with slips of paper, and chants that preceded the lottery were removed as well. Other than the few minor changes, the same old black wooden box and the same old rules prevailed year after year. No one in the community knows why or under what circumstances the lottery began. All they can understand is that it is a tradition and they are unwilling to abandon the tradition. After Mr. Summers show up to the town square with the box he sets it down to prepare for the drawing. A housewife of the small town, Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson, arrives late telling Mrs. Delacriox that she "Clean for got what day it was." From the black box, each of the townspeople draws a folded slip of paper, but not unfolding it until everyone else has drawn. The moment arrives that Mrs. Hutchinson has won the lottery! Everyone then closes up around her and the town proceeds to stone her to death, using her as a scapegoat for their society. The townspeople continue the lottery year after year because, as one of the townsmen say, "We have always had a lottery as far
             back as I can remember, I see no reason to end it." The theme of this stor
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