The short story The Lottery, written by Shirley Jackson in 1948, tells the story of a small town and a certain lottery that is performed once a year. The story takes place on the morning of June 27th; Jackson describes in detail the gathering of the town's people to conduct the lottery. The drawing is said to only take about two hours and involves every person in the town. Jackson focuses on the people's attitudes toward this drawing in the beginning of the story. The people are jovial and accepting towards the rules of the lottery. Jackson mentions repeatedly in the story of how this lottery is tradition and has taken place every year since the town was created. The story ends with the drawing of pieces of paper and the unveiling of the unlucky winner, Mrs. Hutchinson. The reader is left to wonder throughout the short story, of what the lottery is for. At the end the reader finds out that the unlucky winner is stoned to death. Shocking to say the least, I am still contemplat!
             ing on the symbolism and or meaning of what Shirley Jackson is trying to say or what message she is trying to convey. I do believe that because this short story was written only three years after the end of World War II, the atrocities that had taken place during the war might play a part in Jackson's story. However, my first impression is shock and then confusion when reading this story. It doesn't seem to make any sense, why would any person contribute in anything that may cause the certain death of a family member or friend? Why do these people feel that it is necessary to conduct such a ritual? Whether it is tradition or not it is insane and highly impractical. I believe most readers are left with the same impression as me. I would like to know what Shirley Jackson was thinking when she wrote this story. The only thing I can come with is that maybe she is trying to compare the actions of the town to the world i
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