Why do the townspeople in "The Lottery" seem so willing to kill their neighbors every year?
Why do the townspeople in "The Lottery" seem so willing to kill their neighbors every year? In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the reader learns that the lottery is an event, systematically solidified into society, and has been in place for decades. Every year, each village or town holds a ceremony, randomly choosing one inhabitant who is stoned to death by the townspeople. During the story the reader learns anyone in the town, old or young, is entered into the lottery. While the townspeople clearly view day of the lottery cautiously, none openly protest the proceedings except Mrs. Hutchinson who is chosen by the lottery. The final morbid scene in “The Lottery” shows the townspeople, from elderly to children, kill their friend and neighbor Mrs. Hutchison. And this begs the question: how and why are the townspeople so willing to kill one of their neighbors every year without much complaint? Although systemic change is hinted at, many of the townspeople (particularly the olde...