Blind Adherence to Social Traditions

The phrase, “we’ve always done it that way” is a language one uses when following authority blindly. People often forget to think for themselves, and the horror that follows because of it can be frightening. Shirley Jackson proves to us that blindly following tradition can only create violence for the people of society or even destroy it. When identifying the true meaning of the word tradition, it is to guarantee that young minds will come to learn and appreciate society’s way of life.

However, what the human mind is capable of when following these outdated practices is what causes destruction. In the short story, “The Lottery”, Shirley Jackson paints a clear picture of how blindly following tradition can only lead to three things: negative outcomes, hypocrisy, and violence.

Every year on the 27th of June, the small town of three hundred people come together for their annual lottery tradition, and every year the outcomes remain negative and the same.

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The preparations seem harmless, but what is to come is what makes everything shocking. It is explained that, “the lottery was conducted--as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program--by Mr. Summers. who had time and energy to devote to civic activities” (Jackson). Everyone in the town were so used to following the tradition that they viewed it as the reason the town was remaining stable. Nevertheless, blindly following the tradition is what leads up to the negative outcomes. Do the people sit back and think of the adverse consequences when following the rules of this tradition? According to the article The Lottery: A Graphic Adaptation, written by Martha Cornog, “these villagers keep the tradition out of habit, superstitious expectations for a better harvest, and paradoxical benefits of group cohesion despite a deadly outcome” (Cornog).

It almost seems pointless following a tradition that started seventy something years ago when the original ceremony and first black box had been long forgotten. However, according to Mr. Warner, there was “nothing but trouble in that” (Jackson) and people who thought about quitting the lottery were nothing but fools. However, maybe the real fools of the story are the ones who truly believe that taking lives are okay.

Blindly following this tradition is what leads to hypocrisy among the people. While some of the town folks already talk lowly of one another, like when Watson had to draw for him and his mother and the town murmured, “glad to see your mother's got a man to do it.' (Jackson), all becomes much worse when the lottery is happening. Bill Hutchinson is the name that ends up being called, and the whole Hutchinson family must each draw a slip of paper because of it. Tessie Hutchinson is the only one who argues, claiming that, 'You didn't give him enough time to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair!' (Jackson). This moment shows hypocrisy because just minutes before the results, Mrs. Hutchinson was all for the lottery, yet once her last name was the one being called, everything about the lottery was not fair. Things get even more outstanding when Mr. Summers ask if there were any other members in the Hutchinson family, with which Tessie replies, 'There's Don and Eva. Make them take their chance!' (Jackson). Tessie Hutchinson clearly becomes blinded here and is willing to sacrifice her own family because of it. It is proof that hypocrisy can not only destroy a family, but a person as well, Tessie Hutchinson being a prime example of how blindly following a tradition you know nothing of can lead to a bloody aftermath.

The negative effects that this tradition has on society is what leads the people to believing that violence is the answer to solving everything. It starts off with a peaceful setting, the author explaining that “it was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely, and the grass was richly green” (Jackson), directing the attention away from the violence that was soon to occur. The first to gather at town square were the children, which brings to realization that whatever is about to happen, all members of the family were to be a part of it, even the younger ones. However, it is soon discovered that while some were uneasy, “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones” (Jackson). If this is not enough to bring the negative effect of following this tradition into view, there is also the black box, which is what all the towns people draw a name from. The black box placed in the center of town for the annual lottery could be described as a mysterious thing, however, the box actually represents the doom and violence that is soon to come. According to Patrick J. Shields who wrote Arbitrary Condemnation and Sanctioned Violence, “The story itself shows the atavistic nature lurking beneath humankind's civilized surface along with the sanctioned violence that can occur” (Shields). This fallen society views the lottery as bettering their future, so the violence of killing one of their own is simply human nature. The characters never stop to question the reasoning of sacrificing another life, because at the end of the day, it was just the rules of a tradition that they blindly followed.

In the end, could this be called an act of tradition or can one truly call it an act of barbarism? With the negative outcomes, hypocrisy, and violence that occurs all throughout, Shirley Jackson proves to us that following a tradition you know nothing of can only lead to a catastrophe. The reality of it all is that human kind is capable of anything, and if we continue to follow these traditions or let them guide us, things like the lottery will continue to exist.