Over the course of this story, I simultaneously became more captivated and horrified. I could feel the ominous cloud brooding over the community as the narrative continued and my mood changed with it. I could sense where the story was going, but I wanted to keep reading because I didn’t believe I could be right. I became deaf to the chatter in the study room as I read and instead heard the dialogue of the characters. To be honest, it is very rare that I am able to tune out others like this, so that alone speaks to how this story interested me.
I think that the part that makes this story intriguing is how cavalierly the characters act about such a cruel ritual. The kids play as the towns people gather, everyone wants to hurry through the lottery so they may continue with their daily tasks, the lottery official jokes with the community, and finally, when the victim is selected, the people expect her to accept her lot without a struggle. The town’s people are frustrated with her for protesting her death.
But in all of these actions there is an undertone of fear, a certain sort of denial. The people do not give the ritual their attention because it is too painful, too alarming. They do not tolerate the women’s protests because they are eager to push the punishment off on another. It reminds me of the Niemoller quote “First they came for the Jews.” Everyone else in the community was just so glad that they were not chosen that they were eager to administer the punishment on another. And there is also fear in the absoluteness of the tradition. It is a force no one feels they can question. When Mr. and Mrs. Adams test the waters and suggest that other cities don’t conduct lotteries they are immediately shut down, and venture no further.
By the end of the passage, I could relate to the community’s denial. I could feel the sense of fear and experienced the horror and confusion that the town’s people are so eager to dismiss. Jackson did such a great job of painting the people’s emotions through their dialogue that I felt a part of the story. I kind of wanted to stand in the back of the crowd and ignore the ritual as well.
When I realized how I was reacting it really made me question what I would do in that situation. I hope that I would stand up for the woman about to be stoned to death, but I’ve never been tested on that level, so I’m not entirely sure.
It is the literature that makes us take a second glance at ourselves that I think is truly great, and “The Lottery” certainly made me do so. I really enjoyed my experience reading this short story.
