Analysis of 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson

Taking Tradition to Task

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byCatherine Sustana
Updated October 31, 2019

When Shirley Jackson's chilling story "The Lottery" was first published in 1948

in The New Yorker, it generated more letters than any work of fiction the
magazine had ever published. Readers were furious, disgusted, occasionally
curious, and almost uniformly bewildered.

The public outcry over the story can be attributed, in part, to The New Yorker's
practice at the time of publishing works without identifying them as fact or
fiction. Readers were also presumably still reeling from the horrors of World War
II. Yet, though times have changed and we all now know the story is fiction, "The
Lottery" has maintained its grip on readers decade after decade.

"The Lottery" is one of the most widely known stories in American

literature and American culture. It has been adapted for radio,
theater, television, and even ballet. The Simpsons television show
included a reference to the story in its "Dog of Death" episode (season
three).
"The Lottery" is available to subscribers of The New Yorker and is also available
in The Lottery and Other Stories, a collection of Jackson's work with an
introduction by the writer A. M. Homes. You can hear Homes read and discuss
the story with fiction editor Deborah Treisman at The New Yorker for free.

Plot Summary
"The Lottery" takes place on June 27, a beautiful summer day, in a small
New England village where all the residents are gathering for their traditional
annual lottery. Though the event first appears festive, it soon becomes clear that
no one wants to win the lottery. Tessie Hutchinson seems unconcerned about the
tradition until her family draws the dreaded mark. Then she protests that the
process wasn't fair. The "winner," it turns out, will be stoned to death by the
remaining residents. Tessie wins, and the story closes as the villagers—including
her own family members—begin to throw rocks at her.

Dissonant Contrasts
The story achieves its terrifying effect primarily through Jackson's skillful use
of contrasts, through which she keeps the reader's expectations at odds with the
action of the story.

The picturesque setting contrasts sharply with the horrific violence of the
conclusion. The story takes place on a beautiful summer day with flowers
"blossoming profusely" and the grass "richly green." When the boys begin
gathering stones, it seems like typical, playful behavior, and readers might
imagine that everyone has gathered for something pleasant like a picnic or a
parade.

Just as fine weather and family gatherings might lead us to expect something
positive, so, too, does the word "lottery," which usually implies something good
for the winner. Learning what the "winner" really gets is all the more horrifying
because we have expected the opposite.

Like the peaceful setting, the villagers' casual attitude as they make small talk—
some even cracking jokes—belies the violence to come. The narrator's perspective
seems completely aligned with the villagers', so events are narrated in the same
matter-of-fact, everyday manner that the villagers use.

The narrator notes, for instance, that the town is small enough that the lottery
can be "through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner." The
men stand around talking of ordinary concerns like "planting and rain, tractors
and taxes." The lottery, like "the square dances, the teenage club, the Halloween
program," is just another of the "civic activities" conducted by Mr. Summers.

Readers may find that the addition of murder makes the lottery quite different
from a square dance, but the villagers and the narrator evidently do not.

Hints of Unease
If the villagers were thoroughly numb to the violence—if Jackson had misled her
readers entirely about where the story was heading—I don't think "The Lottery"
would still be famous. But as the story progresses, Jackson gives escalating clues
to indicate that something is amiss.

Before the lottery starts, the villagers keep "their distance" from the stool with the
black box on it, and they hesitate when Mr. Summers asks for help. This is not
necessarily the reaction you might expect from people who are looking forward to
the lottery.

It also seems somewhat unexpected that the villagers talk as if drawing the tickets
is difficult work that requires a man to do it. Mr. Summers asks Janey Dunbar,
"Don't you have a grown boy to do it for you, Janey?" And everyone praises the
Watson boy for drawing for his family. "Glad to see your mother's got a man to do
it," says someone in the crowd.

The lottery itself is tense. People do not look around at each other. Mr. Summers
and the men drawing slips of paper grin "at one another nervously and
humorously."

On first reading, these details might strike the reader as odd, but they can be
explained in a variety of ways -- for instance, that people are very nervous
because they want to win. Yet when Tessie Hutchinson cries, "It wasn't fair!"
readers realize there has been an undercurrent of tension and violence in the
story all along.

What Does "The Lottery" Mean?

As with many stories, there have been countless interpretations of "The Lottery."
For instance, the story has been read as a comment on World War II or as
a Marxist critique of an entrenched social order. Many readers find Tessie
Hutchinson to be a reference to Anne Hutchinson, who was banished from
the Massachusetts Bay Colony for religious reasons. (But it's worth noting that
Tessie doesn't really protest the lottery on principle—she protests only her own
death sentence.)
Regardless of which interpretation you favor, "The Lottery" is, at its core, a story
about the human capacity for violence, especially when that violence is couched
in an appeal to tradition or social order.

Jackson's narrator tells us that "no one liked to upset even as much tradition as
was represented by the black box." But although the villagers like to imagine that
they're preserving tradition, the truth is that they remember very few details, and
the box itself is not the original. Rumors swirl about songs and salutes, but no
one seems to know how the tradition started or what the details should be.

The only thing that remains consistent is the violence, which gives some
indication of the villagers' priorities (and perhaps all of humanity's). Jackson
writes, "Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black
box, they still remembered to use stones."

One of the starkest moments in the story is when the narrator bluntly states, "A
stone hit her on the side of the head." From a grammatical standpoint, the
sentence is structured so that no one actually threw the stone—it's as if the stone
hit Tessie of its own accord. All the villagers participate (even giving Tessie's
young son some pebbles to throw), so no one individually takes responsibility for
the murder. And that, to me, is Jackson's most compelling explanation of why
this barbaric tradition manages to continue.

The Lottery Characters

Tessie Hutchinson
The woman selected by the lottery to be sacrificed, she is stoned to death by the
villagers at the very end of the story. Tessie arrives late at the lottery, saying she
forgot the day… (read full character analysis)

Davy Hutchinson
The youngest Hutchinson child, Davy, is too young to understand the proceedings
of the lottery. But his innocence is contaminated by the lottery as he is
handed pebbles to throw at his mother at the… (read full character analysis)

Mr. Joe Summers

The unofficial leader of the village and overseer of the lottery. Mr. Summers
volunteers frequently in civic roles, organizing square dances, teen club, and the
Halloween party. The other villagers pity him for having no… (read full character
analysis)

Old Man Warner

The oldest man in the village, Old Man Warner presents the voice of tradition
among the villagers. He speaks strongly in favor of continuing the lottery, because
he claims that to end it would be… (read full character analysis)

Mrs. Janey Dunbar

Clyde Dunbar’s wife and the only woman to draw in the lottery. Husbands, as the
heads of households, draw for their families. A grown son might also take on this
role, but the Dunbars’… (read full character analysis)

Get the entire The Lottery LitChart as a printable PDF.

"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through
the roof." -Graham S.

Jack Watson

A youth who is old enough this year to draw in the lottery on behalf of himself and
his mother. For this, he receives supportive words from the other villagers, who tell
him he is… (read full character analysis)

Minor Characters
Bill Hutchinson

Tessie’s husband who draws the marked slip of paper for his family. He exhibits
little distinct character, although he does forcefully remove the marked paper from
his wife’s hand and tells her to “shut up” as she protests.

Nancy Hutchinson

The twelve-year-old daughter of the Hutchinsons. She is popular, and her friends
wait with bated breath as she draws her slip of paper from the Hutchinsons’ pool.

Bill Jr. Hutchinson

The Hutchinsons’ son. He and Nancy joyfully show their blank slips to the crowd
when they draw them. They don’t appear to show anxiety or remorse at their
mother’s fate.
Eva

Another child of the Hutchinsons, she is no longer considered part of their family for
the purpose of the lottery because she is married. Tessie is reminded of this when
she attempts to have Eva and her husband Don take their chance with the rest of
the Hutchinsons.

Don

Eva’s husband.

Mr. Harry Graves

Mr. Graves is the village postmaster and Mr. Summer’s assistant in the proceedings
of the lottery.

Mrs. Graves

A villager who reminds Tessie that they all take the same chance by entering the
lottery. Mrs. Graves is at the front of the crowd with Steve Adams as the villagers
overwhelm Tessie.

Mr. Delacroix

A villager.

Mrs. Delacroix

A villager. She coaxes Mrs. Dunbar to hurry up as the killing begins.

Dickie Delacroix

The child of Mr. and Mrs. Delacroix, Dickie works with the other boys at the
beginning of the story to collect piles of stones.

Clyde Dunbar

The only villager not in attendance at the lottery. He has been excused because he
has a broken leg. As a result, his wife must draw for herself and their sons.

Horace Dunbar

The Dunbars’ eldest son who, at sixteen, is still too young to draw in his mother’s
stead for their family. As instructed by his mother, Horace runs to tell his father
which villager was chosen by the lottery.

Mr. Martin
A villager who, with his son Baxter, holds the black box during the ritual of the
lottery.

Baxter Martin

Mr. Martin’s oldest son who holds the black box with his father as slips of paper are
drawn.

Bobby Martin

A young son of Mr. Martin’s, Bobby fills his pockets with stones at the beginning of
the story.

Harry Jones

A village boy who works on collecting piles of stones at the beginning of the story.

Steve Adams

The first villager to draw his family’s slip of paper from the black box. He talks
with Old Man Warner about neighboring places that have quit doing the lottery, and
is at the front of the crowd as it overwhelms Tessie.

Mrs. Adams

Steve Adam’s wife, who joins him in conversation with Old Man Warner about the
possibility of giving up the lottery.

Shirley Hardie Jackson (Dec 14, 1916 – Aug 8, 1965) was an American writer, known primarily for her
works of horror and mystery. Over the duration of her writing career, which spanned over two decades,
she composed 6 novels, two memoirs, and more than 200 short stories.

The Randomness of Persecution

Villagers persecute individuals at random, and the victim is guilty of no transgression other than having
drawn the wrong slip of paper from the box. The elaborate ritual of the lottery is designed so that all
villagers have the same chance of becoming the victim – even children are at risk. Each year, someone
new is chosen and killed, and no family is safe. What makes the lottery so chilling is the swiftness with
which the villagers turn against the victim. The instant that Tessie Hutchinson chooses the marked slip of
paper, she loses her identity as a popular housewife. Tessie essentially becomes invisible to them in the
fervor of persecution.

The Danger of Blindly Following tradition

The village lottery culminates in a violent murder each year, a bizarre ritual that suggests how
dangerous tradition can be when people follow it blindly.