The mood of the story at first seems almost festive. Then in small, but telling glimpses we are told that the men are smiling rather than laughing at the jokes, and the conversation among the bystanders turns to murmurs as the town official, Mr. Summers arrived in the square, carrying the "black box." Then the good-natured folk keep their distance and Mr. Summers must ask for help. There seemed to be a resigned air among the citizens. The narrator recounts a partial history of rituals involving th

When forced with the possibility of death, human nature in all its complexity, comes down to one instinctive urge, that of survival. When Tessie was in no danger she was gossiping with the other ladies and even encouraged her husband to go and pick a piece of paper. When Tessie wins the lottery; she pleads for another chance and screams for mercy. She demands that her daughters take their chances as well, which is a telltale sign of our base primitive instincts.

Tessie claimed that her husband, Bill, "didn’t have enough time to choose" and that "it wasn’t fair" (82). In these statements, she implies that the other villagers had more time to choose and in fact are given an advantage over the Hutchinson family. In reality, time had little to do with the drawing, for Death comes on swift wings to whomever stand in its way. Age, sex, or race has nothing to do with it Death shows no favoritism; it all comes down to the luck of the draw. The eldest Hutchinson children hold "their slips of paper above their heads in celebration" (83). Seeming not to care that their good luck means that another member of their family is doomed. Even if it means that the other person is his or her own mother, they celebrate that it is not they that are chosen.

e black box, complete with rumors of chants, recitals, stances, dim memories of the way the lottery used to be conducted. The reminiscing serves as a reminder to the villagers of the way things are and the way they have always been. The shee

Some topics in this essay:
Tessie Hutchinson, Shirley Jackson, , black box, play major role, shirley jackson, play major, tessie hutchinson, major role, “the lottery”,