Shirley Jackson’s kerry899 shocking short story The Lottery first made waves upon its publication in 1948, drawing many critics and prompting an outcry of angry letters to The New Yorker. With its macabre depictions of following orders and the darkness that lurks within every day life, The Lottery still resonates strongly today among readers across generations.
Jackson likely drew inspiration for this story from postwar concerns over social prejudice and anti-Semitism; it may also reflect pressure to conform.
The unlucky rich man and the lucky peasant
The story opens with an annual lottery in a small-town village, meant to ensure a bountiful harvest. As children pile stones together for this annual lottery event, Old Man Warner recalls an old proverb: ‘Lottery in June; corn will be abundant soon.”
Tessie Hutchinson protests the unfairness of the lottery; but when her slip is chosen she becomes silent when her protest is met by town crowds who stone her to death. Jackson’s interest in ancient rituals–particularly those involving human sacrifice–could have been partially inspired by her college course on folklore taught with James George Frazer’s Golden Bough and John W. Brand’s Popular Antiquities as her texts.
Tom Crist and his family decided to share their good fortune with others after winning a lottery, sharing it through Related Media video. You can watch their extraordinary journey by watching Related Media video; other stories in this collection demonstrate just how unpredictable luck can be.
The four clever brothers
An impoverished father instructs his four sons to go into the world and test their luck, each taking up different trades: from becoming thieves, astronomers, huntsmen and sewers; to the youngest brother taking up sewing.
These brothers all prove their worth as masters in their trades, when the King’s daughter is taken by a dragon, the brothers band together to rescue her and return her safely back home. Though he doesn’t know who will get his daughter, every member has contributed something worthy in helping save her.
At the crossroads they had agreed upon, their family comes back together again. Their father is overjoyed to see them, and together they tell stories of how they made him proud by fighting monsters and saving a princess from them – earning riches and land as rewards – while living happily ever after as one united family. A classic fairy tale featured in Grimm’s Fairy Tale Collections published in 1905.
The ‘luck-child’
Story takes us into a small village which is hosting a lottery. According to the narration, Mr. Summers and the residents are conducting this civic activity among many others such as square dances, teenage club activities and Halloween programs.
Jackson’s college folklore professor recommended reading Frazer’s Golden Bough and Brand’s Popular Antiquities, both of which focus on traditional customs such as lotteries. Perhaps these books provided him with inspiration for creating his lottery as an act of sacrifice ritual.
Even after being drugged, Lucky escapes into the forest where he meets an elderly couple who take him in as their foster-child and raise him as their ‘luck-child.’ However, their hopes are dashed when King Othin discovers Lucky and orders his destruction; Lucky is stoned to death soon thereafter. Its story was chilling and haunting enough that when it first appeared in The New Yorker in 1948 it caused quite an uproar among readers.
The ‘lucky man’
Ancient civilizations often decided civic duties, social conflicts, property awards and marriage through lotteries. Jackson’s terrifying tale published in 1948 vividly demonstrated how this form of decision-making could lead to violence and tragedy.
Tessie Hutchinson draws the winning slip at a village lottery that appears festive but is in reality an event dedicated to stoneing people to death. Her denial goes unheeded as an angry mob of villagers throw stones on her head in response.
Conclusion
This story, drawing parallels between Gothic literature and modern experiments by Stanley Milgram and Philip Zimbardo on human cruelty, anticipates our modern understanding of how ordinary people can be coaxed into doing terrible acts. A great piece that deserves to be read again; “The Lottery” should definitely be part of your reading list! Also included in this set is another outstanding tale entitled “Thirteen Nights at Sea.”
