In the story “The Lottery”, the lottery tradition had only a few changes in the way it was conducted since it’s beginning. Any idea, belief, or tradition that is passed down from generation to generation is bound to change in some ways from the way it originally began. The original black box had been lost and replaced with another one that was now falling apart, but the villagers refused to replace this box because it had always been part of “their” tradition. The chips once used in a box were changed to slips of paper and the opening start of the tradition with songs and salutes had also been lost and were no longer a part of it. Just as time changes, so does life and everything in life, but it is up to us to bring about the changes that
there is quiet conversation between friends. Mr. Summers, who runs the lottery, arrives with a black box. The original box was lost many years ago, even before Old Man Warner, the oldest person in the village, can remember. Each year Mr. Summers suggests that they make a new box, but no one is willing to go against tradition. The people were willing to use slips of paper instead of woodchips as markers, as the village had grown too large for the wood chips to fit in the box. A list of all the families and households in the village is made, and several matters of who will draw for each family are decided. Mr. Summers is sworn in as the official of the lottery in a specific ceremony. Some people remember that there used to be a song and salute as part of the ceremony, but these are no longer performed. Tessie Hutchinson arrives in the square late because she has forgotten what day it was. She joins her husband and children before the lottery can begin. Mr. Summers explains the lottery’s rules: each family will be called up to the box and draw a slip of paper. One of the villagers tells Old Man Warner that the people of a nearby village are thinking about ending the lottery. Old Man Warner laughs at the idea. He believes that giving up the lottery would cause nothing but trouble, and a loss of civilized behavior. A woman responds that some places have already given up the lottery. Everyone finishes drawing, and each
In The Lottery Old Man Worner profusely argued the tradition of the lottery when others suggest other villages gave up the lottery. "There's always been a lottery" (page 31 line 200) "Nothing but trouble in that" (page 31 line 203) The old generation still holds the value of conducting the lottery and when other view points, perhaps more rational thinking in today's times could change the way the village does things.
In The Lottery, Shirley explores traditional custom missions and the reason we pass on the legacy to the new generations. As her story describes, families of a small village always gather about the 27th of June each year to attend a town meeting, called the lottery. The old man, Mr. Summer, would “carry the black wooden box” (Shirley 217), to the meeting and distributes the paper ticket to every family while supposedly perform a recital, but people soon forgot how the recital is performed a changed the official rule; whoever has a dot on their pieces of paper will win the lottery. Strangely, the town people do not properly follow the tradition, yet they mindlessly maintain the lottery. Moreover,
This is shown on page 28 line 408-410 when the text says “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones.” This tells the reader that the villagers did remember that they had to throw stones at the person who drew the paper with the dot. Plus, on page 27 line 382-384 Old Man Warner is saying “‘It’s not the way it used to be.’ Old Man Warner said clearly. ‘People ain’t the way they used to be.’” This shows that Old Man Warner, the man who has been in the most lotteries (77 lotteries) has noticed a change in the attitude and general view of the lottery. Another piece of evidence showing that there are parts of the lottery the townspeople have forgotten is on page 17-18 line 119-133. The narrator is telling the reader about how there used to be a salute, song, and a dance, as well as other traditions that used to go along with the lottery, but they were allowed to die of with time. This is most likely because the townspeople slowly forgot about them, and now they only have the lottery. Plus, they don’t use wood chips anymore. On page--- line--- it says that Mr. Summers convinced everyone to use paper slips instead of wood ones because of the growing
Traditions are based all around us. Today’s society has many traditions like family traditions, holiday traditions, southern traditions, and so many more. Although most traditions are harmless, it is not always best to follow tradition. Sometimes following tradition can be dangerous. In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” villagers participate in an annual drawing, and the winner gets stoned. The villagers are blind to how cruel and brutal it is because of their commitment to this tradition and to that society. Fear is what is keeping this village from breaking such an act. The fear of actually giving up this tradition and society is what is keeping this brutal act existent. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is a perfect example that following tradition
The exact origin of the rituals and traditions in the “The Lottery” is not stated by Shirley Jackson; however, the traditions seem to be just as old as the town itself. Although most of the villagers in the short story are unaware of the old rituals, they view it as a form of spiritual cleansing. The villagers are deeply-rooted in their archaic traditions filled with superstitions human sacrifices, and crops. Old man Warner, a man who is happy to be celebrating his seventy-seventh lottery is seen as a prominent figure in the short story. Old man Warner’s character is very traditional and reluctant to change. In the eyes of the villagers, old man Warner is a winner and free from bad luck. The black box is a determinant between life
The villagers in Jackson’s The Lottery may have found some of the rituals of the tradition irrelevant and either absolutely rejected them or let them lapse completely. The villagers have continued an annual tradition without keeping, knowing or caring about the rituals. This is shown in two passages in the story, the first being, “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box…” (Jackson). The essential fact that the original black box was lost shows that this tradition of the lottery is not as important to them as it was to past generations. The second passage clearly shows that the villagers have slowly over generations grown less devoted to the tradition.
Another reason the theme of this story is keeping a tradition is each time they do the lottery they do it the same way. If it wasn't such a big deal to them they would change it but they never do because its an important tradition they want to keep.
The shabby black box symbolizes the deterioration of ritual itself. The original of the box loses long time ago, and no one is sure that the black present box actually makes from the original box’s pieces. This proves the ritual also loses and nobody in the village knows the real meaning of the ritual they are practicing every year. The villagers do not care about the box’s appearance; the color fades, and they put the box all in different places. The townspeople seem to take pride in the ritual of the lottery but the box that represents the ritual is not respected. They do not even think of replacing it. There is no good and logical reason for them to keep holding the lottery because the lottery itself has lost the meaning long time ago, and the only thing left is cruelty. In one of the paragraphs, the narrator tells how the townspeople talk about the official of the lottery, “some people believed that the official of the lottery used to stand just so when he said or sang it, others believed that he was supposed to walk among the people, but years and years ago this part of the ritual had been allowed to lapse. There had been, also, a ritual salute, which the official of the lottery had had to use in addressing each person who came up to draw from the box, but this also had changed with time, until now it was felt necessary only for the official to speak to each person approaching” (257). The lottery really changed with time. The townspeople changed few things because they believe those things are no longer necessary and needed. However, the brutal ritual is the one they should discard but they keep holding it. In another paragraph, the narrator says, “Because so much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers had been successful in having slips of paper substituted for the chips of wood that had been used for generation” (256-257). The story’s third person point of view is successful proving that although lots of the rituals, songs, salute, the black box and wood chips of the lottery have been changed, forgotten or discarded over times, the townspeople still hold the cruel ritual firmly without logical reason. They have no idea what rules they should follow and which should be discarded. This
Societies have always relied on traditions in order to sustain a culture. Sometimes, a tradition can lose its original purpose, thus becoming meaningless. When traditions lose their meaning, they can cease to utilize their original purpose- or becoming outdated. The “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, highlights the detrimental causes of continuing a tradition while forgetting the original history. There are many customs that are no longer followed today because they no longer serve a purpose, however, in “The Lottery,” the outdated ceremony is still being followed by the community.
Traditions were made to continue for generations. Everyone has a dark side to themselves. Both of these statements are connected in “The Lottery”.
One piece of evidence is “The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago, and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town (pg. 16 line 70-74).” This shows that the lottery was old because since the original paraphernalia was lost the black box had to be put into use. The black box is older than the oldest man in town indicating that the tradition is very old. “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones (pg. 28 line 408-411).” This line shows that the Lottery was very old because they had “forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box”. Meaning generations and generations ago they had a ritual and a original box but over the ages people have lost or broke the box. “Some people remembered, there had been a recital… performed by the
Many people do things without questioning them. They do not know why they do it, or why they should not do it. All they know is tradition. The short story, “The Lottery,” written by Shirley Jackson demonstrates such habitual, ritualistic behavioral traditions followed by a village. This custom is known as the Lottery. The villagers do not challenge this praxis because it is the social norm. The townspeople adhere to the general guidelines of this savagely cruel ritual by brutally murdering another person to repent for their sins. However barbaric this tradition may be, the townspeople do not oppose this group homicide because it is a practice that they have accepted for many years. Unthinkingly doing something with the only reason being
The lottery is written by Shirley Jackson the lottery setting is where she grew up when she was young. The background of the lottery is That they have this lottery comes every year and it is always on the 27th. Bering the year when it is not being used it sits on something and sites there. The story is mostly calm but at the end it is brutal and scary. The story was made 1948 the background of the story is when there was no electricity and when here where not tractors.
Tradition; it is the back bone of every culture and civilization. It is what keeps the beliefs, philosophies, and activities of societies alive, to be passed down from generation to generation. However not all traditions are practiced with pure intentions. Some activities become so routine, people don’t know a life outside of them. Societies become so accustomed to “tradition” that they will participate in pastimes without questioning the ethics or morals of the situation. Ultimately when tradition takes the place of a rationalizing mind the outcome can be incredibly dangerous. The role of tradition is an underlying theme in the short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, forcing readers to ask themselves “At what point do