Cruelty in "The Lottery"

Paper Summary:

Cruelty often comes in many forms. In Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Lottery," the writer points out that we see human cruelty in its worst form because there is no excuse for it. It explains how, in this story, cruelty manifests itself in the form of a ritual that makes no sense except for the fact that the ritual has been passed down for generations. It discusses how Jackson's example illustrates how mankind can become a victim to its own mindless traditions and that the theme of cruelty emerges through the words and behavior of the townspeople.

From the Paper:

"The behavior of the townspeople is very telling. We know that the people gather in the same place every year to participate in this customary ritual. It is interesting to note that the history of this lottery is lost. For example, we read that the "original paraphernalia" (Jackson 619) from where this lottery survives was lost "long ago" (619). The people are like drones because they did not like "to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box" (619). This is fascinating considering what is happening. Rather than question their behavior, they would rather sit back and let the madness continue. Instead, they allow innocent people to be killed. This illustrates how they have become desensitized to what is happening. We can also see how they are desensitized when Mr. Adams tells Mr. Warner that a town nearby is considering giving up the lottery, to which Mr. Warner replies that they are a "pack of young fools" (622). Mr. Warner is old and he is as much a creature of habit as the rest of the town is. His reply to Mr. Adams indicates a truth about humanity in general, which is that if people do something long enough, they begin to believe that it is acceptable and perhaps even right. Here we see how tradition becomes essential to a community because it gives them a sense of belonging and strangely, a sense of purpose."

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