Anaylsis of Jacksons The Lottery Essay - 527 Words

Tradition is a large part of life today, but decades ago it was almost a way of life and if it was not followed there were stiff consequences. The story is misleading by the title because of the normal thought of a lottery is something positive or a giveaway. The story is quite the opposite of the common thought. The main point that Jackson shows in â€Å"The Lottery† is that people can be involved with such a violent act and think nothing of it. In the story all the people are happy, â€Å"they stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed.†(Jackson 124). The tradition the village seams at first to be a happy scene, but later learn that it is a terrible event that is a†¦show more content†¦All the towns people get together on June 27 in the middle of the town square for the drawing of the lottery. The townspeople the lottery is just like any other town gathering like a holiday program , school play, or a dance. Mr. Summers is the person in charge of the lottery; she has to gather the information from all the townspeople about their households the day before the lottery to make a list for the next day. He places papers in a box and mixes them around with one paper with a black dot on it. The townspeople pick out a piece of paper, but only the head of the house which is in most cases the husband. The family that draws the black dot has to then draw once again to see who will lose in their specific household. Unfortunately the person in the family that draws the dot will be stoned to death. This tradition of the town takes place every year and everyone is forced to participate in the lottery. Traditions are hard to break or stray away from; especially in this specific story. In the story some people agree and some disagree with the tradition of the lottery. The elders of the town have become accustomed to the lottery taking place every year and that makes it easier for them to understand the event. The people of the town who disagree with the event are the younger people. There will always be arguments with the lottery because someone will always die once a year. This is the same with any tradition in any town or any family