Annotated In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If you don’t see a problem, then there is no need in trying to fix it. This is the way things have always been done so why change it now? This is the way many people think and don’t see a problem with it. They go along with the status quo whether it is right or wrong. In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson the townspeople are hesitant to refuse traditions that would be considered wrong and evil by most people. This story gives the lottery a bad reputation. The first thing that comes to mind is winning a sum of money or goods. In the beginning, the story suggests that the people are going to draw for a prize. Instead they are drawing to see who will be stoned to death. This is part of the irony in the story along with the day is described as being a sunny summer day, flowers blossoming and the grass richly green. This suggests that a happy event is getting ready to take place. The people of the town are reluctant to give up the lottery. As everyone starts to gather in the town square there is talk how other towns have
Tessie arrives late to the lottery saying she forgot what day it was. She was the only one to forget what day it was as she was doing dishes. When her husband draws the marked paper she is the only one to protest against the lottery stating it wasn’t fair and that her husband did not have enough time to draw his paper. Even though families stood together and all must be present she was quick to throw her daughter and her husband under the bus when asked if there was any other family that could draw. She wanted her entire family in the lottery. Did not matter to her she was making her young children apart of this insane act. The irony of this setting is even when the family starting their draw she was the one to draw the paper with the dot. As the people approached her she was still screaming “it’s not fair, it’s not