Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Year : 1, Issue : 19
by SADIA J. CHOUDHURY
Today I will share a story written by Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” which unveiled the dark side of tradition and challenged the readers to question blindly followed customs. The story is set in a picturesque town with a shocking tradition of a deadly lottery, which urges us to speak out against societal wrongs instead of mindlessly conforming.
The author beautifully describes the setting and lulls readers into a false sense of warmth before revealing the story’s dark twist which was being stoned to death as a prize to the lottery.
The character “Old Man Warner,” who is a symbol of tradition, staunchly defends the deadly lottery, highlighting the danger of blindly adhering to long-standing customs. Despite the brutality of the tradition, he deemed the new generation “weak” for questioning its morality, raising questions about the true value of such practices. The mob mentality in the story, vividly portrayed through Mrs. Hutchinson’s fate, serves as a warning against unquestioning conformity. The people of the town are depicted as a pack of sheep, who mindlessly participate in the gruesome act, passing down this destructive tradition to the next generation.
While the story’s dark ending shocked readers, it imparted crucial lessons about societal conformity and blind obedience. “The Lottery” encourages us to be individualists who question and stand against wrongs, fostering a society that challenges harmful traditions rather than perpetuating them mindlessly.
