Lottery Rose's traditions
...ouble in quitting the lottery.” He tries to justify it saying, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.” The villagers listen to him because he is an elder in the community. The villagers are also helpless to change because things have been the same for so long. Another tradition that has yet to change is the fact that the town uses the same lottery box every year. The box is badly damaged, and needs replacing. Each year Mr. Summers talks of replacing it, but that is as far as the discussion gets. The villagers are afraid of change, so they continue to use the same box. The damaged box symbolizes the lottery. Just as the outdated and damaged box needs to be done away with, so too does this archaic and absurd lottery need to be done away with. During a time of turmoil neighbors will naturally turn on each other. With the lottery, the excitement comes from the public stoning of a neighbor. After the villagers find out who the lottery victim will be, everyone is eager to attack and stone them. After winning the lottery, Tessie says, “It just was not fair.” Mrs. Delacroix replies by saying, “Be a good sport Tessie.” The fun and excitement of the lottery ended for Tessie once she discovers she is the winner. The crowd of villagers has no remorse in killing Tessie because everyone is contributing to her death, not just one individual. The villagers develop into a mob, and then they descend upon her. Even Tessie’s smallest son throws pebbles at her. The sex divisions found in “The Lottery” are also very similar to the divisions found in society during the time Shirley Jackson was writing her short story. The most noticeable division is in the workplace. Every woman in the community is a homemaker and is not employed elsewhere. This situation leaves the male to be the dominant figure in the marriage because he is the provider for the family. When the narrator says, “The women arrived, wearing...