The Lottery
Shirley Jackson's insights and observations about man and
society are reflected in her famous short story "The
Lottery". Many of her readers have found this story
shocking and disturbing. Jackson reveals two general
attitudes in this story: first, the shocking reality of human's
tendency to select a scapegoat and second, society as a
victim of tradition and ritual.
Throughout history we have witnessed and participated in
many events, where, in time of turmoil and hardship,
society has a tendency to seize upon a scapegoat as means
of resolution. The people of the village had been taught to
believe that in order for their crop to be abundant for the
year, some individual had to be sacrificed. "Lottery in June,
corn be heavy soon", said Old Man Warner. The irony
here is that villagers are aware that this act is inhumane but
none want to stand and voice their opinion, for fear of
going against society's standards and being outcast or
being stoned. "It's not the way it......
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Approximate Word Count: 703
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)
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