"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson was so controversial that after its publication on June 26, 1948 in The New Yorker, that readers canceled their subscriptions and peppered Jackson with hate mail and threats. It brings up important themes for students to discuss, including the dangers of blindly following tradition, mob mentality, and the inversion of our culture’s family dynamics.
Mysterious and foreboding: the villagers are keeping their distance from a box that is supposed to be a part of a lottery. Normally, a lottery is an exciting event.
Distance, space, hesitation
“...Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, came forward to hold the box steady on the stool while Mr. Summers stirred up the papers inside it.”
The author is very descriptive, leaving a feeling of foreboding and uncertainty, when she writes, “The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool…”
There is more to this box that holds these papers than meets the eye. Perhaps this lottery isn’t such a good thing after all. Perhaps the theme will point to the dangers of depending on luck.