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Final Test of Literary Criticism

Psychoanalysis Criticism: Family Representations in The

Lottery by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson first published The Lottery in print a few years after the end of World
War II, specifically in 1948. As the readers were still shaken by the appalling World War II,
then this work can be classified as a horror story no matter whether it was fact or mere fiction
only. The magazine where this story appeared, New Yorker, declared that The Lottery was
the best short story of the 20th century and generated hundred written responses than any
others magazine short stories had ever published. And yes, she was very successful in making
the readers confused and wondering where such lotteries were held that they could go and
watch by themselves about this brutal ancient rite.
All of the bewilderments are rooted from the storyline that was written with various
unexpected symbolism and themes. To be more specific, end of the story is the most
surprising part. This storyline ends with the increasing shock and horror situation which
surely raises many questions, speculations, and ambiguity afterwards for the readers. Not
only the final part, Jackson can intelligently presented plentiful hint along the storyline and
holds back the disclosure of what happened during the flow. She successfully set down the
unexpected conflicts at the closing part such as inhumanity, brutality, capacity of ordinary
citizens to do evil, and also the betrayal of neighbor by neighbor. Readers must feel the
cohesion of the story in a way that is easily overlooked in the first reading. Without this
understanding, the end of the story will feel much more like blind than twisting.
The narration started by the author’s description about one situation on the special
date of June 27th to conducts a traditional annual lottery and gathers many residents in the
village square. Even though at the first agenda seemed lively for all participants, everything
became clear gradually that no one wanted to win the lottery. This can be seen through the
behavior of each character and their emotions. Along the storyline, author gave names from
many families in the village who participated in this event and describes their habits which
can definitely represent their opinions about this event. Tessie Hutchinson, one of the central
characters, did not seem to care about the tradition until her family was picked. Then she

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protested that this lottery process was unfair. The story ends with the “Winner" who must be
stoned to death by the remaining residents, including their own family members.
The plot of this short story brings up many crucial issues such as the juxtaposition of
peace and violence, human nature, the power of tradition, and dystopian society and its
conformity. But, this analysis will focus on one of the thickest issue in the storyline which is
the representation of family structures. This issue relates to the process of organizing the
lottery itself which was initially carried out around all of the families’ names in the village at
the first round. The father as “head of household” usually draws on a marked slip of paper on
behalf of all family members. When one of the families was picked, then all of that selected
family units choose another piece of paper to see the one who is chosen within the family.
This process indicates the strength of family issue regarding to the importance of family
structures in this village.
The way Jackson narrated all families in The Lottery indicates how they actually
worried and disagree of this annual tradition. It all can be seen based on the description in the
beginning that all of the participant's reaction in the square seems to have quite jokes and
they smiled rather than laughed. Surprisingly, the story closed with a contradictory situation
that reversed their reaction to become more excited and very enthusiastic on the event. The
changing actions of all participants are indeed confusing to the reader about what they truly
think about this tradition. Therefore, Freud’s theory about psychoanalysis criticism can help
revealing what are the true conflicts and internal feelings according to word by word from
each characters behavior which was certainly caused by the interaction between conscious
and unconsciousness mind. Since The Lottery is recounted in the third-person limited point of
view that full of the author’s thought and perspective in observing other characters, then this
story can be analyzed using psychoanalysis criticism theory by Sigmund Freud.
Psychoanalysis theory is the most appropriate analytical approach to interpret The
Lottery with family representations issue which is commonly used as a method to find out the
hidden meaning or intent behind a literary text. According to Md. Mahroof Hossain in his
article “Psychoanalytic Theory used in English Literature: A Descriptive Study” (2017), the
authors and writers are influenced by the psychoanalytic concepts which are reflected in the
characters of their works and also in their mind. Thus, this analysis focuses to analyze the
primary thoughts of all characters based on behavior and motivations of the family in
psychoanalytic lens towards the lottery tradition. Then, the concepts which were propounded
by Sigmund Freud can be applied to discover what the main idea of each family
representation against this inhumanity event behind The Lottery short story as written by

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 Kathy (2015) with identifying the primacy of the unconscious and the iceberg theory of the
psyche.
In Freudian psychoanalysis, the human mind is divided into three levels which are
conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind. All of this divisions are represented as an
iceberg which everything above the water represents conscious awareness and everything
below the water represents preconscious and conscious mind (McLeod, 2009). Out of the
three divisions, the primacy of the unconscious is the most important level to this analysis in
order to investigate how all participants in the square feel anxiety, worried, desires and
unresolved feelings towards the event. This internal conflict is clearly crucial as what Freud
said about structural model of the mind comprising the entities id, ego, and superego (the
psychic apparatus) that generates self-defense mechanisms. In short, this analysis will
specifically identify id, ego, superego, and the common self defense mechanisms based on
Psychologist World that related to what each family keep as their anxiety unconsciously in
order to avoid knowing what they feel they cannot handle and find out the core thoughts as
the final result. Therefore, the analysis begins sequentially according to the families that exist
in The Lottery short story.

1. The Hutchinson’s
The Hutchinson’s are the main attention of family name than the others that exist in The
Lottery. This family consists of five members who are Bill as the head of household and
Tessie who play a role as the housewife with three kids, Bill Jr, Nancy, and little Dave.
Actually, there is one more child in this family namely Eva. Yet, she already got married with
Don and need to follow her husband’s family name to join this event.
In the beginning, Tessie is the first Hutchinson who shows up in this story. She came late
to this annual event and make statement that she forgot what day it was to Mrs. Delacroix
who stood next to her in the back of the crowd. After making the statement, she also had
plentiful jokes with many people in the square while getting through the crowd to reach her
husband. This action represents her Id, to make fun of this event and everybody. She seems
does not care toward the lottery and also make no physical signs of worried about what
happened next which is totally different than the others behavior, she even laughs with others
instead. Tessie sees this event as if it is an ordinary activity and speaks about everything as
she pleases.
All of the humor faded until Mr. Summers, the official who conducted the lottery,
mentioned her family name when Bill actually the one who got the marked slip of paper.

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Suddenly, Tessie shouts out to Mr. Summers that he did not give her husband time enough to
take any paper he wanted and stated that it was not fair. According to this behavior, Tessie
uses Denial as a self-defense against her fear, anxious, and apprehensive to be “the chosen
one”. She repeats the word “unfair” for three times and tries convincing the audience to start
all over again until the end of the story. As the top of her emotion, she brings up an excuse to
involve Eva and Don as part of The Hutchinson’s and expects them to have their chance
together. This action refers to Projection self-defense mechanism that can be seen based on
her attempt to defend the ego from generating anxieties by using the excuse towards Don and
Eva in order to maximizing her chance to live.
The next Hutchinson shows after Tessie is Bill and his three children as the member
of family that need to take one slip of paper again to select the “marked” one. Bill was only
standing quiet and staring down at the paper in his hand as the fate that one member in his
family will be stoned to death. In this process, his Ego gives the rational explanation besides
of his anxiety to what will happen next. Hence, he shows his self-defense in Acceptance by
answering Mr. Summers’ question about the number of his family correctly to represents
“surrender”. In contrast, he stated “Shut up, Tessie” toward his wife’s argument about the
unfair lottery process that intended to refuse the fact. So do the children, they know
consciously the end of this process and in the high fear which can be seen based on their
behavior. Nancy took the slip daintly, Billy with his red face, then Tessie who hesitated for a
minute and looked around defiantly with set lips.
Surprisingly, Bill and his children acted so differently when finally found out that Tessie
was the only one who has not opened the slip of paper which surely got the black spot inside
of it. In the process, Bill forced the paper out of her hand and only held it up. He did not try
begging for his wife to the villagers, but became one of the executors for his wife’s death
instead. It is his Id that indicates his psychology which consciously signifies the desire to act
out without considering his wife as the victim. So does Nancy and Billy who turn to beamed
and laughed after opened their slips at the same time. They even are holding their slips of
paper above their heads which represents proud.
By the changing feelings and behavior of The Hutchinson’s at the end of the story, it
symbolizes how they actually are in high fear and have a peak of deep anxiety towards the
lottery. Therefore, all of the anxious faded when this frightening and shocking situation
happens to another person. As long as they do not become “the marked” one, they would
never asked the situations or status quo as what Tessie did. It all can be proved by the self-

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 defense that Tessie did in order to “started all over again” and perhaps the mark slip of paper
will overwrite to the others family.

2. The Summers’
Joe Summers is the official who conducts the lottery and organizes the event neatly. The
author made Joe as a jovial man and very good in managing all of this when he seemed very
proper as talked interminably and humorously to the villagers. The depiction of this character
actually represents Idealisation self-defense for Joe by emphasizing his positive besides of
the negative issue as what people talked about his wife as a scold with no children.
Beside of Joe’s impression to the people, he substantively desired to get rid of this event in
the society. The action can be seen based on his attempt to speak frequently to the villagers
about making a new box. Every year after the lottery, Mr. Summers always begins talking
again about a new box which clearly indicates his excuses for this event in rational terms
such as the box is no longer show the original wood color, faded or strained so that need to
make then new one. This Rationalisation is implicitly signifying the best way for him to be
able to avoid the acceptance of the tradition that has to be done again next year.
In fact, this family try omitting the lottery implicitly according to Mr. Summers’ action as
the official by changing the tradition that should held some ritual first before started the
lottery instead of have jokes with everyone.

3. The Dunbar’s
Mrs. Janey Dunbar appears as the only woman who draws the lottery on behalf of
Dunbar’s family since her husband got broken leg and not be able to make it this time. She is
also becomes the one who has strong Superego when facing this event. Though she is in high
fear and anxiety, she answered confidently that her son is still sixteen and the entire burden
will be borne by her. In the same manner, she also told her son to go and tell her husband for
who is the chosen one in order to protect him from witnesses this barbaric action.
At the end of the story, Mrs. Delacroix told her to be hurry in participating the murder of
Mrs. Hutchinson. Janey’s Superego must be as hard as a rock that she had in both hands. The
Superego seems give her the rational explanations according to norms and humanity. So
instead of join in, she gasping for breath and told her to go ahead and will catch up behind
which surely as an action to try avoiding taking part of the murder as well. From this, The
Dunbar’s can be concluded as the family who disagree with this tradition and not willing to
take part in murder.

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4. The Watsons’
Jack Watson is a boy who old enough to draw the lottery for his mother and himself that
year. He shows his fear and anxiety through the actions explicitly such as has his eyes
nervously when answering Mr. Summers’ question and ducked his head when several voices
in the crowd support him. This action represent his self-defense in Acceptance technique to
live with the unwanted conditions and try accepting if fate could be overwrite him or his
mother. So, The Watsons’ also one of the family who feel scared and in high fear when the
name mentioned as one of the participant. Instead of doing some rejection action, they choose
accepting the way it meant to be.

5. The Graves’
Mr. Harry Graves is the assistant for Mr. Summer when conducting the lottery and his
wife is the one who told Mrs. Hutchinson that they were taking the same chance, as she deny
the reality as the marked family. What Mrs. Graves stated to Mrs. Hutchinson is included to a
behavior that refers to Acting Out self-defense. She tries to protect her skin and reduce
anxiety by arguing the same chance that was taken for all of the participants.
In short, The Graves’ is one of the family who accept and enthusiastic for the lottery. All
can be clearly seen from how Mrs. Graves said to Mrs. Delacroix that time sure goes fast
which means that it seems like yesterday they take part of murdering the marked one. Then,
she moved into the front line when the stoning took place.

6. The Delacroix’s
Mrs. Delacroix is the first one who talked to Mrs. Hutchinson and laugh softly at the jokes
she made in the back of the crowd. It shows her Id that does not really concern or worried
towards the lottery. She also takes part of self-defense with Mrs. Graves to disproving
Tessie’s arguments as she denies the fact to be the chosen one. She Acting Out from
laughing softly with Tessie into the person who took a large stone she had to pick it up with
both hands to hit her on head.
For this reason, The Delacroix’s also part of the villagers who enthusiast and hold with the
tradition without any doubt. Even in the beginning of the story, Dickie Delacroix is one of the
children who made a great pile of stones in the corner of the square that will later become a
tool to murder Mrs. Hutchinson.

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7. The Adams’
At the first, Steve Adams and his wife talked to Old Man Warner that indicates how they
are actually giving up on the lottery and in doubt to sympathize at this tradition. Both of them
represents Rationalisation self-defense by saying a rational term that some North village
story have already quit lotteries which become the main purpose for this village to also get rid
of this tradition. However, their fear and anxiety are gone when finally find out that The
Hutchinson’s is the family who got the marked slip of paper. From here on, their Id
ultimately takes control based on what Steve Adams done as part of the front line people to
kill Tessie together with Mrs. Graves.

8. The Martin’s
Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, are the only one who bravely come forward to assist
Mr. Summers when he asked for help. Everybody is in hesitation and need to deal with their
own anxiety to face this tradition. For instance, this family also agrees and follows the
tradition without any doubt and questioning anything.

From all of the analysis above, it can be concluded that all of the family who are
participate in this tradition basically worried and anxious to become “the marked one” which
need to be stoned to death. They try to cover it up by some self-defense such as Humor or
even Acceptance towards the lottery. Their Superego is still dominating the whole stuff at the
first. Moreover, Mr. Summers and The Adams had given some rational terms to quit the
lottery implicitly. But when the announcement for the marked slip of paper happens to
another family, they Id directly take control of whole things and release them without any
doubt and concerned who is the victim.

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 REFERENCES

Franklin, R. (2013). “The Lottery” Letters. Web. <https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner

/the-lottery-letters>

Gahr, E. (2015). A Literary Analysis of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. Web. <https://www.
brighthubeducation.com/homework-help-literature/123283-a-literary-analysis-of-the-lottery-
by-shirley-jackson/>

Hossain, MM. (2017). Psychoanalytic Theory used in English Literature: A Descriptive Study. Global
Journal of Human-Social Science: G Linguistics & Education. 17:1. ISSN: 2249-460X

Kathy, P. (2015). Psychoanalysis: The defenses, anxiety and core issues. Educational Website Content
Management. Web. <www.11th-grade-ibenglish.granadahills.groupfusion.net/
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LitCharts. Web. <https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-lottery>

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/unconscious-mind.html>

Psychologist World. (2019). Parts licensed under GNU FDL. Web. <https://www.
psychologistworld.com/freud/defence-mechanisms-list>

Sustana, C. (2019). Analysis of 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. Web. <https://www.thoughtco.com

/analysis-the-lottery-by-shirley-jackson-2990472>