Introduction
Tradition is a good thing until it becomes dangerous for people who follow it. This idea becomes the central theme of the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. To show this idea, the author describes the life of a small village and its inhabitants. At first glance, they seem pleasant, sound, and harmless people with no violent inclinations. However, everything changes when the lottery, an essential local tradition, takes place. It transforms citizens into cruel and merciless killers with no compassion. The village lottery as the symbol of tradition in Jackson’s story is significant because it reveals the theme of violence as the blind acceptance of existing customs.
Discussion
The peaceful start of the story and the following transformation is one of the ways used by the author to show her central message. Johnson starts by describing a typical day in a village with people discussing usual things, “Soon the men began to gather, surveying their children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes (1). Women exchange gossip, call their children, and discuss the life of their community. They all wait for the lottery, which seems to be a big event for the village. This peaceful setting shows no signs of a violent and cruel ending. Instead, it introduces the idea of customs and their importance for all people.
The critical importance of tradition and its power become apparent in the middle of the story. Readers do not understand the main rules of the lottery and possible results, but the author focuses on describing strict rules as an absent person should be replaced by another one. Moreover, to emphasize the power of the event, Johnson outlines people’s excitement and nervousness, “most of them were quiet, wetting their lips, not looking around” (4). The atmosphere becomes tense, and people communicate “humorlessly and nervously” (Johnson 4). It shows the first signs of fear and, at the same time, villagers’ readiness to continue the lottery, accept its rules, and obey the results.
The final part of the story reveals the author’s main idea and the central theme. The sudden realization of why people have gathered radically changes the story’s perception. The winner of the lottery’s last cries, “It isn’t fair,” and stones hitting her head show that a tradition is an act of cruel murder (Johnson 8). Johnson shows that people are not against it; moreover, they want to “finish quickly” (8). It has become part of their mentalities, and they do not hesitate when the tradition requires killing a person every year. In several paragraphs, the author completely transforms the story and how violence can be justified if rooted in individuals’ minds and local beliefs.
Conclusion
Altogether, the story “The Lottery” by Jackson touches upon an essential theme of violence and tradition. The author shows the cruelty of people who are united by common beliefs and view brutality as an integral part of their society’s existence. In a second, the group of calm and thoughtful people can transform into cruel murderers who can kill their neighbors and friends because of local customs. Johnson shows how traditions might be used to justify unaccepted and violent behaviors and make people commit crimes. It is a message sent by the author as she outlines conformism and its dangerous nature when the majority is united around customs that might cause harm to others.
Work Cited
Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery.” Literature and Me, edited by Elizabeth McLitface et al. 10th ed, Pearson, 2018. pp. 1 – 8.