Matthew Newman

Galvatron

ENGL1302

23 Feb. 2024

Critical Thinking Questions: The Lottery

In "The Lottery," a scapegoat is an individual or group unjustly blamed or punished for

the faults or crimes of others. In this story, the scapegoat is Tessie Hutchinson, who is chosen at

random through the lottery ritual and stoned to death by the villagers.

The significance of the lost original box and forgotten ritual parts lies in the gradual decay or

erosion of tradition and its original meaning over time (Jackson 2). This erosion mirrors how

societies can become complacent or indifferent to traditions and rituals, sometimes even

perverting their original purpose. A statement from the story that likely explains the original

purpose of the ritual is when Old Man Warner says, "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon"

(Jackson 3).

By transporting a primitivistic ritual into a modern setting, "The Lottery" reveals the dark

undercurrents of human nature and society (Jackson 5). It exposes how easily people can

conform to social norms and participate in acts of violence and cruelty, even when they know it's

wrong. Additionally, it critiques the dangers of blindly following tradition without questioning its

morality or relevance.
"The Lottery" is presented from an objective point of view, as the narrator does not express any

personal opinions or judgments about the events that unfold (Jackson 1). The dispassionate,

matter-of-fact tone of the story is effective because it allows readers to draw their own

conclusions and forces them to confront the disturbing reality of the lottery ritual without any

bias or manipulation from the narrator. This makes the story's message more powerful and

unsettling.