"The Lottery" is a short story by Shirley Jackson that was first published in 1948. The story takes place in a small, seemingly idyllic village on a warm summer day. The villagers gather for an annual event known as "the lottery." The lottery is a tradition that has been passed down for generations and is taken very seriously by the villagers.
The story opens with the villagers, men, women, and children, gathering in the town square for the lottery. The mood is festive, and the villagers chat and joke with one another as they wait for the lottery to begin. However, as the story progresses, a sense of unease begins to build.
The lottery is run by Mr. Summers, who is in charge of the slips of paper that contain the names of every member of the village. Each family draws a slip of paper, and the head of the family is responsible for opening it. The slip that has a black dot on it signifies that the family has won the lottery.
As the slips of paper are drawn, it becomes clear that the lottery is not a game or a prize. The winner of the lottery is to be stoned to death by the other villagers as a sacrifice for the good of the community. The story ends with the stoning of Tessie Hutchinson, the protagonist, who is the winner of the lottery.
The story was written to be a commentary on the dangers of blindly following tradition and the brutal nature of mob mentality. It is considered a classic of modern American literature and is often studied in schools and universities. It is a story that raises questions about the nature of tradition and the ability of a society to question its own actions, even when those actions are brutal and inhumane.
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Topic: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson (Read 222 times)