A lottery is a type of random selection used to determine who gets something. It’s most often used when the supply of a good or service is limited and there are many people who want it. Some examples include a lottery for units in a subsidized housing block or kindergarten placements at a reputable public school. Lotteries can also be run for recreational purposes, such as a football team draft or an office pool. These events are usually conducted by paying participants who select a group of numbers or symbols and hope that their selections match those randomly spit out by machines. Although there are some negative connotations to the word “lottery,” it’s generally accepted that a winner or small group of winners will be determined by a random process.
A central theme in Shirley Jackson’s story The Lottery is the blind following of outdated traditions and rituals. The story takes place in a rural American village where the people are very traditional and adamant about their customs. When the first scene of the story opens, children gather in the town square, stuffing their pockets with stones, and picking the most beautiful and round ones. This is a clear foreshadowing of what’s to come.
The lottery is arranged by Mr. Summers and the narrator, a man who is considered something of the town patriarch. He reminds the villagers that the lottery is just another one of the “civic activities” they participate in, such as square dances and teenage club meetings. The villagers nod along, even though they know that the outcome of the lottery is likely to result in the death of someone in their community.
The narrator’s casual mention of the lottery indicates that most of the villagers have no idea why the lottery is held or even when it was started. The villagers simply follow tradition and believe that it’s important to continue the lottery in order to increase their chances of another successful harvest. They are also afraid to question the authority of the man in charge, so they don’t protest the lottery until it’s too late and they’ve lost.
While there is a certain inextricable human impulse to gamble, most people understand that the odds are long. Still, people buy lottery tickets because they feel that there is some sliver of hope that they will be the lucky winner. The truth is that winning a lottery is an exercise in futility, but people like to play because it gives them a false sense of control over their lives. It is important to note that the regressive nature of lottery gambling means that it tends to prey on those with lower incomes who can’t afford to play the game without dipping into their savings or credit cards. This is why some are concerned that state lotteries could be viewed as a form of income tax. Fortunately, most states are careful to avoid this by making the odds of winning very low.