The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
A lottery is an arrangement in which winners are selected by chance. It is generally considered a type of gambling and often requires payment of a consideration in order to participate. Some examples of lotteries include a draw for units in a subsidized housing complex, kindergarten placements, and medical treatment. Modern lotteries have also been used to decide sports team drafts and to make decisions about prison parole. In addition, commercial promotions involving the offering of prizes based on random chance and schemes that demand a consideration for a chance to participate in a lottery are also considered to be lotteries.
In her short story The Lottery, Shirley Jackson focuses on the blind following of outdated traditions and rituals. In this story, the majority of villagers do not even remember why they have been practicing this lottery, but they continue with it because they have always done so. Those who do question this tradition are called crazy or fools. Jackson uses this to point out how powerful tradition can be.
The central problem in the story is that if the majority wants something, it does not necessarily mean that it is right. The villagers in the story follow the lottery because it is tradition, but the tradition itself was wrong. People should be able to stand up for what they believe in, and not follow the crowd. Jackson also criticizes small-town life, pointing out that evil can occur in even the most peaceful looking places.