Shirley Jackson "The Lottery" is a troubling story in which the title tricks the reader into expecting something very different than what actually happens. "It isn't fair it isn't right," but that's the way it was always done. This quote sums up the story about a village that carries out a maniacal game of chance which has been played out without question for generations. Once the reader discovers the true meaning of "The Lottery" the reader is forced to consider how foolishly dangerous conformity can be. The people inhabiting the small village value conformity above all things. It is clear that all the citizens of the village are not quite ready for change no matter what losses are inflicted upon them. Shirley Jackson obviously wants to challenge the reader to beware of the dark side of human nature and the danger of blinding conformity without questioning.
             The story begins with young children gathering in the town square. They are laughing, playing, and generally having fun doing things that children do. Some of the children are gathering stones from the surrounding area and are forming a mound of them together. Already at this early point in the story you can see that the children's young minds have fallen prey to mindless conformity as shown by the joyful gathering of stones in preparation of their upcoming twisted ritual. Soon the men and women arrive, bringing with them a less jovial tone. The villagers make small talk, laughing quietly amongst one another, while at the same time maintaining a slight seriousness. Jackson makes some use of foreshadowing early in the story by mentioning the pile of stones and the way the older characters distance themselves from it. "They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed." The observant reader is able to sense that something
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