The Lottery, written by Shirley Jackson, published in 1948, is a prime example for a society that blindly follows an outdated and harmful tradition without questioning it. Usually, winning the lottery implies that one participant gets rewarded, but in Shirley Jackson’s short story, winning The Lottery means getting stoned to death by the other participants, that is, by their neighbours, friends and even own family members.
My claim is that traditions which have lost their meaning and are followed blindly can cause otherwise normal people to act abnormally without thinking. Thus, the human nature is not inherently violent, but it is the unthinking adherence to their tradition which is the primary cause of their violence and cruelty. After all, groups of people can easily influence human nature as well as their distinction of good and evil provided that the people uncritically follow a tradition which they do not consider as a barbaric event, but as a normal civic event taking place annually.
My aim is to examine, in a close reading, the effects of blind adherence to traditions on the characters’ behaviour in the story. In order to this, I will verify the point that the villagers blindly follow their tradition, although they have forgotten its origin significance. Afterwards, I will analyze in how far human nature plays a role when it comes to act brutally and evil, as every villager participates in the murder after all. I finally want to focus on the children’s behaviour in order to demonstrate that there is still hope for villagers of breaking with their barbaric tradition. In order to fully understand the theme, it is important to know what the short story is about, how it develops towards the end and who the main characters are that will be addressed in
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Lottery: Summary
3. The Meaning Of Tradition
4. Blindly Following A Forgotten Tradition
5. Human Nature In The Context Of Tradition
6. Children As A Bearer Of Hope
7. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the destructive consequences of blind adherence to tradition, using Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" as a focal point to argue that unthinking conformity can cause otherwise normal individuals to commit acts of extreme cruelty.
- The psychological impact of tradition on individual behavior
- The phenomenon of mob mentality in group settings
- The role of "The Lottery" as an allegory for societal conformity
- Human nature versus learned social behavior
- The potential for societal change and the role of the younger generation
Excerpt from the Book
Human nature in the context of tradition
In order to investigate the motives for murdering an innocent person that one knows, likes or perhaps adores, one has to take closer look at the primary cause of the villagers’ cruelty. Coulthard strongly argues that The Lottery “is not an assault on mindless, cultural conformity. It is a grim, even nihilistic, parable of the evil inherent in human nature” (Bloom 34-35) According to him, “it is not that the ancient custom of human sacrifice makes the villagers behave cruelly, but that their thinly veiled cruelty keeps the custom alive.” (34). In order to assess Coulthard’s claim, one has to examine the short story. In fact, in the beginning of the story the villagers do not behave cruelly or evil whatsoever, but they are friendly and also have relaxed conversations with each other. The description that Mrs Delacroix and Mrs. Hutchinson “laughed softly” (Jackson 2), indicates that they get along well with each other and that they may be even friends. At the end of the story, Mrs. Delacroix, however, does not hesitate to “select a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands” (Jackson 7). She could have chosen a smaller stone, but she opts for a big one.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the core argument that unthinking adherence to tradition turns ordinary people into perpetrators of violence, establishing the paper's critical perspective on the story.
2. The Lottery: Summary: Provides a concise overview of the plot, detailing the ritualized annual stoning and the community's cold indifference toward the selected victim.
3. The Meaning Of Tradition: Explores definitions of tradition through sociological perspectives, emphasizing how customs persist even when their original significance is lost or forgotten.
4. Blindly Following A Forgotten Tradition: Analyzes why the villagers continue the ritual despite the loss of original artifacts and meaning, citing the psychological comfort of collective experience.
5. Human Nature In The Context Of Tradition: Investigates whether the cruelty displayed is inherent to human nature or a product of mob mentality and social conditioning.
6. Children As A Bearer Of Hope: Examines the indoctrination of children while identifying small instances of individual empathy that suggest the potential for future social change.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes that human nature is susceptible to collective regulation, yet emphasizes that conscious awareness is the key to breaking harmful cycles of tradition.
Keywords
The Lottery, Shirley Jackson, tradition, social conformity, mob mentality, human nature, violence, ritual, collective psyche, indoctrination, ethics, societal change, cultural behavior, moral corruption, empathy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on how the blind following of outdated traditions can cause ordinary, socialized individuals to participate in acts of extreme violence and cruelty without moral reflection.
Which specific themes are addressed regarding tradition?
Key themes include the loss of a tradition's original meaning, the role of group mentality, the influence of social structures on individual behavior, and the conflict between moral judgment and rigid custom.
What is the primary research question?
The paper investigates the effects of blind adherence to traditions on the characters' behavior and explores whether human cruelty is an inherent trait or a result of societal conditioning within the context of the story.
What methodology is employed to analyze the text?
The author uses a close-reading method combined with sociological and psychological theory to interpret the characters' actions and the author's underlying message.
What aspects of the story are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the summary of the plot, definitions of tradition, the psychology of the villagers, the transformation of individual behavior within a group, and the role of the younger generation.
What are the most significant keywords for this work?
Key terms include "The Lottery," social conformity, mob mentality, human nature, and tradition-based violence.
How does the author interpret the behavior of Mrs. Hutchinson?
The author interprets Mrs. Hutchinson as a person who undergoes a drastic transformation under stress, revealing a deep-seated survival instinct that overrides her social connections and morality once she becomes the target.
Is there any hope presented for the village?
Yes, the paper identifies the behavior of the younger generation and the fact that other nearby villages have already abandoned their lotteries as evidence of a "glimmer of hope" for change.
- Citation du texte
- Ahmet Yildirim (Auteur), 2014, Blind adherence to traditions in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/284052
