Choose
a quotation or passage from the story and explain why this quotation
stands out to you. Perhaps you want to ask a question and then try to
answer it. Perhaps it reminds you of another story
we've read and you want to explore that connection. Perhaps the
language stands out to you for some reason. Maybe you want to look at
setting. Write a response of at least a lengthy paragraph. Then,
reply to a classmate's comment. Agree or disagree, and take the
conversation a step further. Even try to use textual evidence to support
your stance.
Here are some sentence starters for you:
"I wonder why..."
"I am reminded of..."
"I think it's important that..."
"I was struck by..."
"I realized that..."
"I don't understand..."
When reading "The Lottery", it reminded me of the statement we received in class; "We do not shape society; society shapes us." My original answer was true, but reading this I'm not as sure. In the lottery they sacrificed their townspeople because they believed that they would receive a mass amount of Corn in June. As if it didn't happen, there would be no food. When they are drawing for the sacrifice, a townsperson says, "over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery." Old Man Warner snorted. "Pack of crazy fools," he said. "Listening to the young folks...Lottery in June, Corn be heavy soon". It seemed like people were trying to break away from a tradition that was obviously wrong. But people that had been doing it for so long would not stop. The people that are in the North village are not letting society shape them, but the people in this village have let society shape them.
ReplyDeleteWhen talking about how old the box used for the lottery is it is described as having 'been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born. Mr Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box.' (2) What I think is the most interesting thing about the story, and word choice in it is that it keeps on calling this box a 'black box'. A black box is a box which holds mysterious or secret information. The fact that what the lottery decides is only revealed at the very end of the story is one mystery. I think it is significant that a black box is also often a part of a plane after it crashes which still exists and shows what happened leading up to the plane crash. The fact that this black box is kept hidden when it is not in use suggests to me that it is an essential part of society which cannot be destroyed. Here the idea of tradition plays in. This box contained pieces from the original black box, and this was a cherished piece of such an old tradition, which the people refused to recreate, just like they refuse to get rid of this tradition they have of the Lottery.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting!
DeleteI also thought about the black box and how the people refuse to have it be remade. To me, this shows that they're so consumed by tradition and not actually by what the tradition stands for that they refuse to have them change any little thing.
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DeleteI really like the argument you're making. I also thought about the black box's role in the community. I chose to discuss the fact that the box was older than the oldest member of society. Thus making the box the oldest member of community. This puts the ritual on a pedestal making the whole practice something that just is the way it is.
Delete"'They do say,' Mr. Adams said to Old Man Warner, who stood next to him, 'that over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery.' Old Man Warner snorted. 'Pack of crazy fools,' he said..."
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote because when I read it, the question we discussed in class came to mind. Does society shape us, or do we shape society? Nobody in this village could explain why they continue with this strange tradition, it's just what they've done all their life. However, that doesn't mean a long time ago people didn't understand why they do it. This tradition must have been created for a reason, and in that way, the people are shaping society. However, when those people died off, and the tradition is continued, but no one can explain why the tradition is being continued, that is society shaping us. To answer the question of whether we shape society, or society shapes us, you have to be specific. It is very possible that at one point a group of great thinkers came together and made a revolutionary new law or tradition and the people who abided by that law knew why it was such a good law. It is also very possible that now everyone still follows that law because that's what the people before them did, and what everyone around them is doing, not because they understand why.
I chose that quote as well, and I agree that tradition is a big part of this society, as it is to many. It's something that they don't question, they just do. But I disagree with your point saying that they don't know why they carry it on. They continue to do this because they think a sacrifice will make the corn grow in mass amounts after June.
DeleteReading this short story reminds me of one of the statements we were given in class: "Savagery, cruelty, and evil are part of human nature". I answered true because "humans are capable of ultimate cruelty to each other" (John Hobbes), whether or not we know that it's not right. And I feel that this story proves this statement because this lottery has been going on for about seventy-seven years, showing that no one has recognized that the lottery is a horrific event and it should be stopped. As soon as Tessie Hutchinson was picked, Mr. Summer's was rushing everyone saying, "Let's finish quickly" (6) and Old Man Warner was saying, "Come on, come on, everyone" (6). It's as if they didn't recognize that one of their townspeople's life was about to end.
ReplyDeleteI agree! It also reminded me of what we did in class. The fact that humans came up with such a violent tradition in the first place shows our natural cruelty. It really is not a matter of survival. It just seems like something people came up with as a way to liveup to the community and listen to the govermnet's rules. This kiling is definitely not for thegreater good and cannot be justified.
DeleteOld Man Warner snorted. "Pack of crazy fools," he said. Listening to the young folks , there's nothing good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves..."
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows how the lottery is now totally ingrained in the people of this village. It has been around for so long and people don't believe that they will be able to survive without it. The fact that other towns around them are beginning to see the horrors of this practice really show how the youth is trying to make a difference. It is the older generation that is refusing to give up, holding onto a tradition, whether it was good or bad. This quote reminds me of both the Hunger Games and Everyday Use. It reminds me of the Hunger Games because of the way people are lined up and are chosen out of a lottery, there fate ultimately being death. It also reminds me of the Hunger Games because the people want to keep the tradition alive of something they feel was done by the founders of their community and will result in chaos if they stop doing it. It reminds me of Everyday use just because of the traditional/roots aspect of it. The people want to live out the traditions of their ancestors and keep this tradition alive.
I totally agree about the reference to the Hunger Games, I even wrote that. Don't you find it interesting that all these people wait for someones name to be called, so that they can throw stones at the chosen one, until they die. The villagers even had little kids line these stones up, trying to make these sinful deed look more innocent then it actually is.
DeleteI realized how much we conform to society. Instead of listening to our own opinion on what we believe is the right thing to do, we are quick to follow the actions of others. “The Lottery” reveals this conformity when “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example…” (1). Bobby Martin’s gathering of stones is immoral. He should be thinking of how his stones will serve as deadly weapons, resulting in a lost life. The other boys follow his example, revealing how easily humans conform. Perhaps cruelty is truly a part of human nature: we are all selfish at heart. If we are not born selfish, then the villagers would have rebelled against the stoning of their peers in the story. The fact that they did not stand up for justice proves that we do not care for the lives of others when our own life is at stake.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree. This reasoning makes me go back to what we had talked about in class, "we do not shape our society, society shapes us". However instead of saying "society", I feel it would be better to say that it is more of the norms and traditions of society that shape us.
DeleteAlso, what you said at the end, about how the villagers don't really care for the lives of others when their own is in danger is something I also agree with!
When reading the "The Lottery", I realized that change doesn't come easy. The town seems to be very traditional, even though the customs seem a bit outdated and slowing dying. While the people don't exactly say it we can infer, for example "The orignal paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago,and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town was born."(2). For some time now they have been using a 'replacement' that is slowing tearing apart. Not to mention the fact that they now rely on paper rather than wood chips, "because so much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded"(2). While the people are reluctant the ritual seems to be slowing changing by itself.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. They don't exactly seem to realize that the tradition is slowly changing but I don't think they really care that their tradition is changing. The only thing that hasn't change and they keep doing is the throwing of the pebbles. "Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original box, they still remembered to use stones" (6), which shows how their traditions have changed except for the act of cruelty.
DeleteI totally agree with you. The town seems to be a very traditional community, that goes by the rules set out for them a while back. However, change has been brought slowly to the town. I also think that this change isn't inevitable. Some people in the town want to bring it back to the old times, but some just don't seen to care enough. We also see that other towns that used to participate in the lottery have stopped, could others in their community come to their senses?
DeleteAlthough the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones.
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows the reality of the dreadful situation that these people are faced with, but they also define it as a "tradition/ ritual". It seems quite bizarre to think of killing another creature a ritual and to look forward to such a day. The story reminds me a lot of the Hunger Games, especially the way the story is setup. The fact that people aren't happy that the lottery is over, but happy that they have lived another day, shows how selfish human beings are. The Villagers don't want to be chosen they want to watch the chosen one die, and be involved in their pain.
Your right, the tradition is obviously vile and immoral, yet I disagree that this shows human beings are selfish (at least generally). They did say that some communities are dropping the tradition, which shows some hint of moral character for some human beings at least. I guess they show to be selfish but isn't it a characteristic of human nature? Their lives are at stake, and that's natural but I completely agree with your last point, and I think that's what really struck me too. How could this ritual continue with people being so involved and ready for it. Does this show that humans are cruel, or that they are just a highly social animal, meaning they are highly influenced by others. They only do it because it's ritual, and since it's ritual they believe its ok.
DeleteTyrone you are right, the villagers want to follow the tradition because when the Lottery is taken place they are scared for there life, because if they get chosen they are going to die. But when a person besides them are chosen they hit them with stones with no problem because they are happy on the fact that they are not chosen. I also agree with Teddy on they believe it is ok because it is a ritual.
DeleteWhat really stuck with me in this story is the line "The lottery was conducted- as were the square dances, the teen-age club, the Halloween program- by Mr. Summers..." (1). I can't help but notice the calm, almost happy, routinely tone of this story. It seems like the narrator has told this story several times, yet completely unfazed. This cruel, brutal lottery is categorized with three communal and peaceful/normal events/clubs, suggesting this lottery is "normal" or however you would categorize the others. It is obvious to us as readers in our time to say "Wow, that's disgusting, that would never happen," yet maybe some of the things occurring today that we consider normal will soon be thought of as "disgusting" or "brutal". Stonings still occur, as do other acts of violence and ignorance. Today as we watch who becomes President, voter suppression is occurring, subtly, but still occurring. Laws are trying to be passed that would put millions out of voting intentionally. A LAW. A law can be compared to the lottery tradition in the story. They follow it because it's tradition, that's that. A law may be interpreted the same way which is dangerous. My point is I feel society has to dig deeper and be critical, as the writer suggests when having other characters say that other communities are dropping the lottery.
ReplyDeleteAs I am currently watching the election, and have read articles about all of the lawyers in polls today making sure that voter intimidation does not occur I understand your point but it seems that society is moving forward in making sure that such 'brutal' and 'disgusting' intimidation does not occur. I really like the connection to today, literally, and it is amazing to read a story like this written long ago which still inspires people like all of those lawyers in the polls to be critical of the bad things happening in society, and standing up against them.
Delete"The children had stones already,and someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles. Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her.'It wasn't fair,' she said. A stone hit her on the side of her head"(6).
ReplyDeleteI chose this passage because the first part reminded me of the statement "Savagery, cruelty, and evil are part of human nature," that we saw in class. Throughout the end of the short story we see that the villagers don't really seem to care that they are going to throw rocks at Tessie and that they gave her son rocks to throw at her as well. This shows that humans have savagery, cruelty, and evil as part of their human nature because they don't care that they are causing harm it's tradition. I also chose this passage because when the villagers start moving in on her and throwing rocks at her head it reminded me of A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings. I can connect these short stories because just like in the lottery, the old man with enormous wings is circled around and people throw things at him as well. That short story also shows how cruelty is part of human nature since they didn't care that the old man was getting punished for no good reason.
i really like the quote you chose and i agree with you that humans do have savagery, cruelty, and evil as part of their nature. This tradtion seems really natural to them and its like things are suppose to be this way, like killing someone is the right thing to do. When some people handed Davy Hutchingson pebbles, its showing that these people are trying to take the innocence out of a little kid. And the kid is her own SON! Thus making her own little boy kill his mother. And showing that humans are indeed evil and do not care about others unless they are the one getting killed.
DeleteI also really like the quote you chose. It really sums up human nature and the cruelty we can cause to others. I was also really amazed when no emotion was felt by any other people except Tessie herself before she was going to be stoned to death. I took it as survival of the fittest and every man for him self. Instead of trying to look out for anyone else, you must look out for your self first.
DeleteWhen reading "The Lottery", it brought me back to what we were talking about in class "savagery, cruelty, and evil are apart of human nature". In class, I marked this statement as false, but after reading the story it kind of had me second guessing whether or not the statement was false or not. At the moment I couldn't really think of an example of how cruelty and evil was embedded in human nature, but now that I have read "The Lottery" I see that the story itself is a pretty good example of how as humans we are naturally cruel and evil. "The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago..." (2), "Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones." (6) I chose these quotes because they show that the traditional aspects of the "tradition" have been lost. Also, just to come up with the idea to stone a member of a community once a year, for a non-concrete reason shows how evil, cruel and savage-like humans can be.
ReplyDeleteGood quotes! I agree; evil is a part of human nature. But after reading the story, I thought of how some people I encounter are naturally kind. The soldiers who fought for us at war were unselfish: they risked their own lives for us. Is everyone born with evil qualities? Does it depend on who you are, what your personality is? These are some questions I've been thinking about. I mostly agree with your statement, though.
Delete"The Lottery" reminded me of when we were filling in the sheet for Utopia/Dystopia Unit and one of the statements were "Most people are followers because it is easier to follow than lead". A lot of people do indeed follow than lead. After class has ended, Bobby Martin "stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example"(1). And also when Tessie Hutchinson was picked, people stood around her until "a stone hit her on the side of the head...and then they were upon her"(6). These two quotes show that many people indeed are followers. Following is easier than leading because if anything goes wrong, they can blame all the fault at the person that did it first. No one in this sto0ry stands up to say that this lottery is wrong because n one wants to stand out. They dont want to stand out because it can get them killed. This thus leads to many injustices: people blind themselves from seeing what they are doing is actually wrong. And they do not see that they are potentially killing a life.
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DeleteGreat connection with the discussion quote from class and from "The Lottery"
DeleteI totally agree with you that the people in this village have been sucked in to following the actions every other villager was doing. And when you mentioned that the people can blame the fault on the person who did it first was a great point, because it illustrates to us that the people have some sense of freedom to not feel guilty about themselves and let another person take the fall for their action. I also agree with you on your last point, I wrote about something similar with people not wanting to stand out. People don't want to stand out because their conscience influences them into being just like everyone else.
I strongly agree with everything you have said Joyce! Following others is indeed easier than leading. The villagers stayed quiet throughout the entire stoning process and that just shows us how cowardly the villagers are and how they rather follow the unfair and cruel traditions of their village than speak up.
DeleteI agree, but I think another interesting point about this connection is that the one person in the town, the black sheep per se, is the one who ends up being killed. By killing off Mrs. Hutchinson, who is the only one to speak out against the Lottery, the town displays their complete infatuation with staying by tradition. For all we know, Mrs. Hutchinson could have been the first person to protest being stoned to death in the town. I think it's safe to postulate as to whether the people in the town killed her so quickly because she was the one who had been "chosen" in their tradition, or becuase she was trying to stop being a follower.
Delete"Mr.Summers spoke frequently... but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box.. the one that had been constructed when the first people settled down to make a village here"(2)
ReplyDeleteThis quote reminds me from the discussions we had in class: "It is human nature to want to be like everyone else-and to not tolerate outsiders". I felt that the people that lived in the village were looking for no change at all, not even Tessie Hutchinson who didn't know her cruel destiny. From the discussion quote "but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box", it shows that no one speaks up to even change the tradition like the other villages did. They feel the need to not be an outsider but to be like everyone else. Because no one let their voice be heard about this black box picking out their destiny, it shows that they are blind from the tradition and do not realize that they are in for a harsh decision. And at the end Tessie realizes that this tradition is unfair towards her and the people don't tolerate her changing into an outsider who is against this tradition.
I agree that this tradition is what governs their society but I don't think it is about being afraid to speak up I think that they just do not want to change and cant be bothered to make the effort. I think Tessie is a perfect example of selfish human behavior because we do not care about the problem until it is about us.
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ReplyDeleteI chose to focus on the quotation, “The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago, and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born.” This quote illuminates the theme of tradition throughout the story. The people not wanting to change the black box represents the routine that these people go through, apposed to the barbaric tradition they are supporting. It is unsettling that the box is older than the oldest man in the community. Thus making the box the oldest member of the community. That being the case the lottery is solidified as pillar of the community.
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you looked deeper into the idea of the black box. It
Deleteseems like just something to keep tradition, but in extension it's what is holding everything together, and I probably couldn't have thought of that on my own. The people are kind of self-destructing because they keep tradition and simultaneously hate it.
As I was reading, “The Lottery”, I was confused because I couldn’t grasp the idea of people getting stoned and most importantly, that no one did anything to stop the violence. It was ordinary for the people to see others getting stoned, and for them it was a yearly tradition. However, the villagers began to forget the rituals and they lost “the original black box,” but “they still remembered to use stones. (6)” The lottery is not even a tradition anymore in the village it’s merely violence. The villagers just want to get the tradition over with and go on with their lives until next June when they can carry on their tradition again. They fail to recognize that their tradition is severe and brutal violence. This story reminded me of the quote we discussed in class, which was, “Savagery, cruelty, and evil are part of human nature.” After reading this story I strongly agree with that statement, humans are indeed cruel just like the characters in “The Lottery” the villagers quietly watch other people getting stoned to death instead of fighting for their rights and their lives.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that humans are indeed evil by nature and this story does support that statement. The fact that the villagers did not do anything to stop the violence just proves that humans are capable of cruelty to each other. And I also agree with you that the villagers just wanted to get the tradition over with because when Tessie was chosen, Mr.Summers and Old Man Warner were rushing the villagers instead of recognizing that a villager's life is about to be taken from them
DeleteWow Mahwish, this was beautifully written! I completely agree with your view on human nature, about how the townspeople thought nothing of the violence proceeding before them. Sometimes we have done something or thought some way for so long we can no longer see it's true impact. Although none of the villagers seemed to highly support the lottery, the fact that none of them spoke up against it is unbelievable to me. I guess since we live in a society where we have been conditioned to speak freely, it is strange for us to see that others have not been taught the same.
DeleteWhen reading "The Lottery" I was surprised by how clueless the townspeople seemed to be. There is a quote on page 2 that reads "The black box grew shabbier each year; by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained". This to me represented the kind of society this story is set in. A society that believes everything will work out for them even though they have done nothing to help themselves. The townspeople are so stuck in their traditions that they are blind to see how they are destroying their society. Jackson's use of the word 'splintered' connotes a sort of sharp pain, a pain that cannot be soothed without proper attention. I believe that this is directed at the townspeople, at their lack of attention towards the well being of one another. Unless they all join together to have the lottery removed once and for all, their community will continue to suffer and their pain will persist.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Also, when the two men talk about how other towns have been getting rid of the lottery and he calls them fools, it shows that they are brainwashed. They can't see that the lottery is controlling them and that without it they would be free. It's interesting that you used the black box to represent the society itself.
Delete"the lottery was conducted- as were the square dances, the teen-age club, the Halloween program-by Mr. Summers, who had time and energy to devote to civic activities"
ReplyDeleteUntil the end of the story we don't really find out was the lottery is actually used for. We know that it is a very important and special event based on fact that it happens each year, there are specific rules, and it has been going on for hundreds of years. We can also assume that based on the quote above the lottery is commonly compared to activities such as dances, clubs, and parties. However, we learn by the end of the short story that the lottery is actually an event to brutally kill off a member in this society. The lottery, like Halloween, teen clubs, and dances, is just a way of life that people have adopted as a tradition in their life. Because the lottery is just accepted by everyone, no one really stands up for each other, Tessie’s husband takes her paper and, “held it up”. By holding it up he shows no emotion that his wife will be stoned in front of him. Neither does anyone else in the community. This shows how cruel humans can be to each other, and how in our organized closely knit world we live, it’s still every man for himself.
I agree with the idea that the people in the society do not stand up for each other and because of this they are unable to realize the real problems with the idea of the lottery. Also I think that now that the people accept it, it has become more dangerous and cruel. If the people knew how bad it was then they could fight back against it but because they instill all their trust within it, it will continue and may not stop until someones realizes its true problems. Although I think that our society is very different and even though the people in this society are all on their own, I think our society has enough compassion for that not to be the case.
DeleteWhat struck me to be very interesting in this story was the line, "The black box grew shabbier each year; by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained." (2) This line was interesting to me because I think the state of box directly relates to the state of the idea of the lottery. Every year the box is in a worse state, much like the disgusting process that occurs each year that has now become the status quo to the townspeople. The people of the town have been content with the idea of the lottery but as they said people in other towns are removing the process entirely. Just like the box it was something that was used a very long time ago and each year it becomes more and more outdated and increasingly unnecessary to the people. This is something that most of he people in the town just accept, although as they use it more and time progresses they realize the true savagery and cruelness they are demonstrating. This reminds me of the question we spoke about in class, does society shape us or do we shape society. I believe that this shows that there is no true answer. The people have had the normalcy of the lottery dictate their lives but as it becomes older people are becoming more fearful of the true danger it poses. They are having their lives decided by society but at the same time some people are deciding to rightfully push back.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read "The Lottery" I was pretty confused about what actually happened in the story. After reading it a second time I got the main idea. The last line, "'It isn't fair, it isn't right,' Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her." kind of reminded me of a movie I watched today called "The Village". The movie is about a group of people who try to establish a Utopia(not important). What I really thought when I read this piece, and to an extent the entire story, was that people here are so intent on following a very specific set of traditional rules. In the movie it was the same, and everyone who defied it was treated poorly. I'm kind of confused on why everyone is so strict about following practice, but it could be related to the fact that they want to keep their society the same.
ReplyDeleteJesse, this is a great connection, and I think the aspect of a utopia is very significant due to the fact that is what our new unit is about. Also, I could not help but completely agree with you when you say the whole story, and all the characters focus on trying to follow a set of ancient rules that they seem to barely be able to retain, I was underlining all of those parts when I was reading the short story too.
Delete"'It isn't fair, it isn't right,' Mrs.Hutchinson screamed..." I think that this is a significant quote because it is a challenge to the lottery which has been a tradition for years. People don't question the lottery, it is just something that they do. I think the fact that they do the same this every year is disturbing. The story is trying to highlight the fact that humans are just naturally cruel creatures. I disagree with this though. The people of the town are stuck in tradition. They don't know any different. That is what Mrs.Hutchinson is screaming at the end. People learn from others, subconsciously they have no choice. If the people of the town realized that they were allowed to change tradition they would. I don't think the people are just mean people.
ReplyDeleteI agree Jane, the people in this town need to know that things don't always stay the same, sometimes things need to change for the better and new traditions need to be made. Also when the people in the town forgot the original ritual but remember the most violent part,the stoning, shows how humans really are just cruel and cannot help it.
DeleteOne of the most compelling aspects of this short story for me was the blind faith with which every member of the town complies with the rules of their Lottery. Even those who might have misgivings about the tradition they are partaking in still go along with the plan, not giving a second thought to what they are really doing: slowly killing off their town one by one. The older generations seem scandalized by any changes made to the Lottery, for example, Old Man warner says " 'It's just not the way it used to be... People just ain't (sic) the way they used to be,' " showing his disgust (this is, apparently, his 77th Lottery) with younger people's waning faith in the Lottery. The children, on the other hand, see no dire need to continue the Lottery for survival's sake, and instead think of it as a game: the young boys make a game collecting the rocks and pebbles that will serve as a murder weapon at the end of the day, finding it entertaining and seeing no fault in their actions. This shows how the old-fashioned and outdated traditions of the villagers are corrupting, so to speak, the younger generation and effectively desensitizing them to death and eradicating their sense of singularity at once. The town is like a flock of sheep, following a tradition that they do not even recall the origins of, simply because they are frightened of change and have been prototyped since birth to carry on with it. Probably the most fitting role in this Lottery is that of the woman who is sacrificed. Mrs. Hutchinson seems to be the only member of the village with any real complaints about what happens every June 27th. Killing her off, despite its seemingly random occurence, only serves to perpetuate the cycle of killing that happens anually in this town. By working together to rid their village of the one woman who might talk sense into them, the villagers will probably never reach the more humane solution to stop killing. Figuratively, they are destroying their saving grace.
ReplyDelete"Pack of young fools," he said. "Listening to the young yolks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work anymore, live that way for a while."(4) I choose this quote because it reminded me of one of the true or false question that we did in class, we do not shape society, society shapes us,because this town is letting a horrible tradition shape their way of life and Old Man Warner saying that stopping the lottery is basically going to make them go back on evolution. Also saying "nothing but trouble in that"(4) Old Man Warner is implying that the lottery will and always be the way of life every year in June no matter what, and they just need to leave it alone and keep traditions the same.
ReplyDelete"Pack of young fools," he said. "Listening to the young yolks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work anymore, live that way for a while."(4) I choose this quote because it reminded me of one of the true or false question that we did in class, we do not shape society, society shapes us,because this town is letting a horrible tradition shape their way of life and Old Man Warner saying that stopping the lottery is basically going to make them go back on evolution. Also saying "nothing but trouble in that"(4) Old Man Warner is implying that the lottery will and always be the way of life every year in June no matter what, and they just need to leave it alone and keep traditions the same.
ReplyDeleteThe text that I found to be interesting was, "Soon the men began to gather, surveying their own children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed. The women, wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their man-folk". I really enjoyed this part of the story because it is about setting. When reading this a detailed picture is painted and one can feel as though they are in the picture. The specific word choice displays the time/era and really describes the type of people that are in this story through a specific moment. The word choice in the whole story was key to describing the story, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI defiantly agree with what you mean by its all about the word choice. There's huge kind of secret that everyone knows but wont speak of. Before you even read the second page you see that something absolutely out of the norm is going to happen, and it all because of the choice and play of words.
DeleteI agree, the people dont understand what is really going on, they are only looking at the over all idea. Another quote to go along with this idea is on page 6 "Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use the stones" The one part of the lotter that they kept exactly the same was the stones because the boys made collecting stones fun, and they did not fully recognize what they were being used for. The goal was not to fully do the ritual, but to complete it. In many other times this ritual was said to be able to take up to 2 days, but in this town it took up to two hours. That shows that they were just trying to complete the goal of finishing the ritual not fulfill it.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kia's comment.
Delete"Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the orginal black box, they still remembered to use stones."(6)
ReplyDeleteThis quote reminded me of our classroom discussion of how people are naturally bad or naturally good, I believe that this quote demonstrates how people are born with this instinct of being cruel. And in situations where your life is depended on it people will often forget their nature of being caring and thoughtful to others and putting their lives at stake. Rather than protecting only yourself in times of chaos. Also, this quote made me think of the short story “The Very Old Man With Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Marquez because, it had the similar message of how everyone in the town has forgotten that this man was supposed to be angel and It’s tradition that an angel is a symbol of purity and compassion. While every joined this bandwagon to harass the man because, he was different. Such as how the town oppressed Tess from having her opinion on how the lottery is unfair and having an “untraditional view”.
While reading I found the literature to be very detailed and descriptive. From the beginning through out Jackson keep everything feeling as if you were right there seeing for your self. Early in the story when the lottery would start there was a feeling of tension in the air while people where waiting for Mr. Summers to begin. "When he arrived in the square, carrying the black wooden box, there was a murmur of conversation among the villagers, and he waved and called, "Little late today, folks." Here as he arrives everyone prepares for what will come. The author sets an atmosphere with the choice of words to give the reader this feeling.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you feel the tension throughout the book. The author does a great job at describing the setting as well as the emotions portrayed by the characters. You even feel empathy for the characters at a point.
Delete"The Lottery" was a very interesting story and a lot of questions were left unanswered. The wooden black box has been in the village for a very long time, in fact as said in the story it was made before the oldest man in the village was born. What i thought was kind of weird was how even though they didn't remember some key parts of the ritual because they were lost, they still remembered what to do with the person who won the lottery. Even though they forgot key parts of the lottery and other villages actually stopped doing it the people still do it and in the story it says "Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones."(6) One important question i have is, Do the people know why they do this very year? do the people in the village know why they kill and humiliate a person with stones like this, or is it just one of missing parts of the wooden black box? This was an interesting story but it left a lot of questions unanswered.
ReplyDelete-Simren
I think that the reason that they kill and humiliate this one person is because it gives them the ability to feel good about their own life. I read a similar utopian story for school a while back that talked about a place where one person was locked in a dark room and starved and a bunch of other bad stuff and the idea behind it was that if one person out of a society lives a bad life, it will make everyone elses, by comparison, much better. They can feel happy about not being the selected one.
DeleteI agree that leaving questions unanswered is part of what makes this story so fascinating. I think that the reason they continue with this tradition is simply because it is a tradition. They are all just blindly following what is considered socially acceptable because they are scared to disobey the norm.
DeleteI agree with you but I think that your mis perceiving the quote a little. I feel that the author was trying to say that they remembered the idea of the lottery but not the details which died along with the old man, are not remembered anymore. This just shows that they have been doing it for a long time, rather than the author trying to show the horror of the situation.
DeleteOne of the things I thought was most interesting about this story, and other similar stories about similar utopias, is that the only way for the people to see happiness in their life is to literally witness and be the cause of someone elses death. I presume that this is the reason for the stonings--if nobody suffers, there is no feelings of happiness and joy among those that do not. What confuses me is how exactly the people are able to live with themselves even as their friends, and sometimes family, are stoned to death each year, and then go on about life as if nothing had happened and as if they are still completely happy and satisfied with their own life. However, when Mr. Summers say, "'All right, folks,'...'Let's finish quickly.'" (page 6) you get a sense that these people do feel bad about what they are doing and try to get it over with and out of their minds as soon as possible. This would mean that they do live with a sense of guilt and regret after performing so many of the lotteries, and it furthers my confusion as to why they keep doing them.
ReplyDeleteI do agree on how people do these lotteries as quick as they can so they could get over the trauma they need to face every year. The reason why I think they keep this tradtion every year because, everyone is afraid of this goverment brutaility of having your own voice heard you will get stoned to death. So, the people keep the tradtion so they will not penalized because of speaking our and having their own opnion and not to face this death penalty.
Delete"A girl whispered, 'i hope it's not Nancy,' and the sound of the whisper reached the edges of the crowd. 'it's not the way it used to be,' Old Man Warner said clearly 'people ain't the way they used to be.'(6).
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote because I think it highlights a major theme in the story, generational differences. The old man is stuck in barbaric traditions and the entire village has no reason to be doing this other than the fact that it is a "ritual" and therefore it would be unheard of to stop doing it. The people are like sheep, aimlessly following the flock because they are too scared of what other people will say. I think this exemplifies how we are our most dangerous predator. I think the author shows this by having a situation in which the people are gossipy and haughty towards each other and there is no compassion for their fellow human beings and neighbors.
I think its kind of ironic how the villagers are in such shock when they hear of other villages planning on taking the lottery away when they do not follow the lottery as it was originally made. ""That over there in north village they're talking of giving up the lotteries' Old Man Warner snorted 'Pack of crazy fools' he said". This shows that even though they did loose some parts of the ritual, they still are tying to preserve the tradition. However, Old Man Warner is not only looking down on the other villages, but also his own. The lottery has changed so much since his first and he does not like this. He wants it to stay the same as it was. His village has changed the lottery to better beinfit themselves which goes back to the idea that people are evil. This story proves that people are evil in two ways because 1. the lottery is killing the person who wins because it is tradition. Killing is an evil act in man kind. Also selfishness can be categorized under evil, and the people changed the lottery to fit their own needs which in a way is selfish.
ReplyDeleteA line that stood out to me was "the people separated good-humoredly to let her through" this line stood out to me because it suggests that although we consider this tradition absolutely horrible, for the towns people it is normal. The author makes a point of creating a very very cheerful and natural setting. This suggests that the murder of one of the towns peoples members is normal and that death is simply excepted and the concept of dying for a tradition is reasonable.
ReplyDelete"Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones" (6)
ReplyDeleteThis quote really stood out to me because it shows how brutal society can get and It also got me thinking about perspective. We looking at this story almost have the same opinion when saying that this is corrupt and is anything but an aspect of a perfect society. I also see some people questioning the townspeople and seem to be mad at them for not standing up and abolishing the lottery. I feel that we have no right to be mad at these townspeople because they are just following tradition. This relates back to the sheet handed out in class with different statements. This is a good example of how society shapes us, we don't shape society. The lottery is apart of their society and how they live life and it seems necessary to stay intact and follow the same traditions that has been going on for generations. If another society didn't have laws they would look at our society as being strict and we would look at their society as being barbaric. This shows how perspective plays a large role in us comprehending and analyzing a situation. Also I don't expect the townspeople to speak out against the tradition because it really take a high social maturity level to do so and these people are just living their lives, as fulfilling as they could.