The precise origin of the lottery is uncertain, but it is believed that the concept was formulated during the era of the Roman Empire. According to historical records, it was first used as a form of local taxation where citizens were required to participate in a public lottery.
During that period, the lottery was used for entertainment purposes and to raise funds for public works, such as the construction of temples, public baths, and other civic projects. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the concept spread throughout Europe and then to the British colonies in North America, where it was later adopted in the United States.
The first organized lottery in the US took place in the 18th century but eventually gained popularity in the 19th century.
What was the inspiration for The Lottery?
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson was inspired by a tradition of village-wide lottery drawings that had taken place in many countries, including the United States, since the 16th century. The tradition was likely started as a way of raising money for communal endeavors and to create a way of divvying up responsibility and obligation amongst villagers who had to take part.
Jackson was inspired to write the story after reading a newspaper article about a small town in Pennsylvania, the Bettering Society, which held annual lotteries and other activities to raise money to benefit their village.
She was intrigued by the idea and wanted to explore it further. Her story was met with immediate success, and was widely discussed among literary critics and the public alike, who both identified with the themes of conformity and participation inherent in the tradition of village lotteries.
In her story, she uses the lottery as a means of illustrating how traditions, without proper discourse and examination, can lead to complacency and the acceptance of violence and destruction, even in the absence of true understanding.
The story is meant as a warning for all of us to thoughtfully consider our behavior and the consequences of our actions, even if they might seem innocuous on the surface.
How did The Lottery start by Shirley Jackson?
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson was first published in the June 26th, 1948 issue of The New Yorker. The story follows a small town that reacts to a peculiar lottery held annually in the village. It is revealed that the lottery winner will be sacrificed, and it becomes increasingly tense when the reader realizes that the lottery winner must be one of the main characters of the story.
The story starts with a description of the town and its people, emphasizing their everyday lives and routines. The children collect stones, the adults discuss the Spring planting and drought, the village is described as a tranquil and steady place before the lottery.
The lottery is first announced by the town’s postmaster, who then passes out pieces of paper with each person’s name on it. When all the pieces of paper are collected, a box is brought out-a black box that has been around for generations and is said to hold the secrets of the lottery.
The people of the village come together to draw their names from the lottery box and Mrs. Delacroix is chosen as the winner. At first, there is shock from the townspeople and disbelief from Mrs. Delacroix, but eventually the ritual of the lottery becomes clear and the townspeople react with a grim acceptance of the ancient tradition.
The Lottery starts off by depicting the tranquility of a small town before introducing a dark and sinister ritual. It is a stark reflection of an archaic tradition and a powerful reminder of the humanity’s capacity for violence andunchecked tradition.
Why did Jackson write The Lottery?
Jackson wrote The Lottery as a way to explore the role of rituals and their traditions in American culture. The Lottery itself was an example of a traditional ritual, albeit one with a violent and disturbing outcome.
With it, Jackson was essentially questioning and challenging the nature of rituals and blind adherence to tradition, while also examining how they can corrupt human behavior. Furthermore, Jackson hoped that her story would be seen as a warning and serve as a reminder of the potential dangers of not examining and questioning long-held traditions.
In doing so, she was hoping to provide a cautionary tale to her readers and suggest that it is important to keep an open and questioning mind when it comes to deeply entrenched customs, even if they appear to be harmless.
What was going on when The Lottery was published?
When Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” was published in 1948, it was received with shock and outrage. The story is set in a small, unidentified village in New England and tells the story of a yearly lottery in which a person is chosen to be sacrificed.
The story was published amidst a period of growing discontent in U.S. society, as the nation was in the middle of an economic boom following World War II.The story was seen as an allegory for the dangers of blindly following social and cultural traditions.
The story has been considered a commentary on damaging aspects of traditional culture, the tension between progress and tradition, and human sacrifice in the modern world. It was particularly topical in this time, as the U.S. was quickly transitioning from a primarily rural, agricultural society to an urban, industrialized one.
The story generated intense discussion among readers and critics, forcing them to reflect on the darker aspects of human nature and tradition. In the decades to follow, it was lauded as an incredibly powerful work of short fiction and a classic of American literature.
When did the story happen in The Lottery?
The story of The Lottery takes place in a small, fictional village in late June. It is not explicitly stated how the year is interpreted, but based on the amount of time that goes into explaining the traditions of the lottery, we can assume that this is a yearly event.
The day of the lottery is a sunny summer day with a hint of a breeze. Most of the villagers gathered around in the town square in anticipation of the drawing while the children, busy with school being out, roamed and chattered amongst themselves.
