Sacrifice In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

Lottery Legacy Most small towns have their own special tradition. Nokomis, Illinois has a Homecoming carnival the second weekend in July every year, Witt has Labor Day, and Hillsboro has Old Settlers. These events bring the community together in celebration. However, in Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery on July 27th the community does not gather for a celebration; instead they gather nervously awaiting the yearly tradition of “The Lottery”. In this village members of the community draw slips of paper from an old worn wooden box to determine who will be sacrificed for the greater good of the village. It is suggested in the story that the sacrifice is for the growth of the corn. The ritual of the lottery has been going on for so long that the majority of people don’t know why they continue the tradition or its origin; the community only knows that they always have. The ritual of human sacrifice dates beyond memory and was used in many cultures. Sacrifice has been performed by many cultures for a diverse amount of reasons and in a variety of ways.
You wait and watch and work: You don 't give up.” (Anne Lamott) Pandora’s Box and The Lottery exemplify hope found in the dark. Even in the darkest of times, hope can be found. Many different cultures have used sacrifice as a means of appeasing their god/gods ultimately in the hope of a pleasing outcome. Some cultures seem to have lost their humanity through the process of tradition, sacrificing humans ritually. Over time, traditions can be confused and possibly intertwined. In due course the original meaning can be forgotten and lost through the generations. In the end ritual, tradition, and sacrifice are all for the hope of the greater good. Hope is powerful! It may have no rhyme or reason, but inside each individual is hope: hope for loved ones, hope for a better future, even hope against all