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The Danger Of Tradition
In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," appears to be an ordinary day in a small village, which takes a nasty turn when a woman after winning lottery was stoned. “The lottery,” in this story reflects an old tradition to sacrifice a scapegoat in order to promote the growth of plants. But this story is not about the past, through the action of the village. Jackson shows us many of the social ills that exist in our lives.
In today's society there is often a too casual setting for evil; Jackson shows us, this aspect of human nature through casual attitude of the city towards the lottery. The men who talk of "rain, tractors and taxes" and the women know gossip all the time that they kill about someone or yourself perhaps even killed (Jackson). To hurry up and finish is the most important thing to them, so they eat lunch. Perhaps the feeling of being in a hurry makes what they are about to make easier; they do not have time to let it bothers them. How often in today's society we have the phrase "just hurry up and get it over with"?
Citizens seem mixed feelings about the lottery; they fear still at a very barbaric level they enjoy it. By focusing "of the cairn," and keep their distance from the black box, the villagers show their fear of the lottery (Jackson). However, when they find out who will be stoned, Tessie Hutchinson, they seem to really enjoy the stoning. A villager picks up a rock so big that can hardly bear and also someone give some pebbles to the youngest Tessie to throw his mother. Their general attitude about the stoning advance through the formula, "and then they were on"; she shows her lack of emotion (Jackson). Tessie essentially begging for their lives and they have no pity for her feeling; they are easy to kill without remorse. Many things in our own society parallel activities of the villagers.
Jackson gives an example of hypocrisy that runs rife in today's society. Tessie is quite willing to stone one of their neighbors, but when she is the one who should be stoned to death, she says: "It's not fair, it's not right" (Jackson). Similarly to talk Mr. and Mrs. Adams to stop the lottery, but when it's time to rock Tessie is Mr. Adams in the lead. The men seem to be concerned that women a man to pull for them: "I am glad to see your mother has a man to do it" and "Do not believe a grown boy to do it" (Jackson). But in the end the men no longer care about the well-being of women; they must have the same chance of dying instead. The fact that Tessie is not to save a woman to her death. "The Lottery" also offers the look of the selfish nature of man. The little boy watching his cairn "against the attacks of the other guys" (Jackson). Tessie is so selfish she tries of their own lives to reduce their chances of dying by her daughter and son-in "take their chance to" (Jackson). It does not try to protect their children, they were not one of them die. Tessie's own children are so happy that it was not one of them who die that they "both beamed and laughed" is; they had no interest for the rest of her family (Jackson). In everyday life, we have the same selfish attitude in the history shown. What does a children's favorite words? It is "mine!" We are constantly saying, well, "it is better you than me" and "it's every man for himself." It's pretty scary _when you really think about it, because you realize what we are really that selfish.
"The Lottery" is a symbol for any number of social ills that mankind commits blind. The story is very shocking, but the reality of humanity is even more shocking. Is not it funny that Jackson gives us a description of our nature, not only do we not know what it is to see, but it shocked us.