HISTORICAL ANALYSIS: THE LOTTERY BY SHIRLEY JACKSON (Essay Sample)

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS: THE LOTTERY BY SHIRLEY JACKSON The Lottery was written in 1948 by Shirley Jackson, three years after theend of the world war. It was first published by The New Yorker, sparkingoutrage from its subscribers, some of whom threatened to unsubscribe andsome who made good use of their threats and did so. It came shortly afterthe World War 1) and the Nazi war where there was mass extradition ofinnocent people under the guise of tradition. There was the hatred towardsthe Jews ignited by fear of their dominance in the economy and the peoplewere made to believe that killing them is justified. It is set in a small town where people practice the ritual of stoning oneof their own by first choosing who to extradite, without any reason exceptit being a ritual. On the 27th July every year people gather together fromthe village and conduct the lottery where the heads of families stepped andpicked a piece of paper and thereafter the family which is unlucky pickagain to find out who among them is stoned. There is an air of normalcy around the place of ritual. Though it isgruesome, Shirley Jackson has managed to employ a friendly tone with thevillagers greeting each, although it is disguised by deep seated hatredtowards each other. The ritual is conducted like any other (the villagedance, teen club and the Halloween) Jackson, S 1948(1). This shows a peopleresigned to and dictated by a barbaric ritual, without complaining or doinganything to stop it. Old Man Warner thinks it's a way of life that shouldnever be discarded and exclaims nothing but trouble when he hears thatanother village has stopped the ritual. A pack of fools, he adds. Mrs.Hutchinson comes late and apologizes, not knowing that it could be her turnbe stoned. She complains at the end but no one listens with her husbandtelling her t play by the rules. This shows a collective mind of thesociety which tends to support evil at the expense of humanity. The tone used implies that people are comfortable with the ritual. Theycame together yearly as Old Man Warner says 'he has attended seventy sevensuch practices. Mr. Sum...