When Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’ was first published in 1948 in The New Yorker, the backlash was severe as the readers got furious and were disgusted by the ending of the story.
The story takes place in a small New England village on June 27th. It's a beautiful summer day and the villagers are gathered for their traditional annual lottery. It is evident that the villagers are trying to forego the tradition of but old man Warner would not allow that.
Children have collected stones and have placed them in the centre of the gathering place. When asked if everyone is here, one person says that Tessie Hutchinson seems to be late. Thus, from the beginning of the story, Tessie is highlighted out of all the characters. Everyone gathered draws a slip of paper from the basket. And Tessie Hutchinson’s family draws the dreaded mark- she protests that the process wasn't a fair one. The winner, 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. Consequently, the ending comes off as ghastly and horrific.
The ending achieves its terrifying effect through Jackson's skilful use of contrasts. At the beginning of the story, she sets a picturesque setting which is contrasting to the deadly violence of the conclusion. She goes on to describe the warmth of the day, the beauty of the village and the nature through the flowers that are “blooming profusely” and the “richly green” grass. Even though the stones are being mentioned when boys are gathering them, it seems innocent and playful and is dismissed. And this contrast of the beginning and the ending is what makes this story stand out and one of the most acclaimed stories American literature. Although Jackson provides the reader with hidden clues of a tense environment - when everyone is drawing a slip of paper and looks at each other with nervousness and fear. At its core, ‘The Lottery’ is a story that captures human capacity for violence, especially one which is founded in tradition. But the irony is that the villagers who think they are the preserving tradition are unsure if the black box, the songs and salutes are traditional. The only tradition that is maintained is of stone-pelting- it may be interpreted that the story is a comment on World War 2 and the extent of human violence.
The writing is simple and direct with no background about anything in the story - the characters’ the actual background and of the tradition are unknown to the reader. Written in the third person narrative style to maintain a sense of detachment between the readers and the story, ‘The Lottery’ is an excellent story and a great introduction to Jackson’s writing.
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