Author’s Note: This is a short piece
that discusses and explains one of themes of the short story The Lottery.
In the story
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, It
tells the tale of a simple town set in the late nineteen forty’s. Everyone in
town knows one another and gathers in the town square for the annual lottery. However,
this specific lottery has no intent for gambling purposes; it is a dark and
evil game, for in the game if you win, in the long run you will lose. The theme
of The Lottery consists of an evil tradition in the town; it is where if
you win this “lottery” the rest of the town kills you on the spot.
Tradition is a powerful theme to the story because it can
change a community, a country, or a world. It changes the way people live and
act, it can be both good and bad, however in this story it is horribly wrong. The
Lottery ties in with the same type of tradition as the famous book Hunger
Games. The tradition of choosing a select few people to fight to the death
for the enjoyment with others. They are the same in senseless slaughter of
others, tradition is a powerful and evil theme in this story.
