THE LOTTERY
The lottery is a story by Shirley Jackson where on June 27th of every year there is an activity called the lottery. In which names are chosen from a black box. Once you recieve a piece of paper you wait till evryone on the list is called. After all names are called you open it up, if you have a black dot on your paper, you are chosen to paticipate in the lottery. You stand in the middle of all citizens, once evryone is ready and has a rock in there hand. Unfortunately you get stoned to death. The film by Daniel Sackheim was based on the short story by Shirley Jackson, where a young man has flash backs of his distant childhood. He soon goes to a small town called New Hope to find out more about his Mother's death. When he confronts citizens of new hope they refer to knowing no information about her. Once he visits her in the grave yard he notices all deaths are on the 27th of June all the same month and a year apart. He then discovers how his mom died. He participates in the lottery which is where they throw rocks at a different person every year.
I believe that the story by Shirley jackson better portaryed the theme of apperances can be decieving because, when the villagers act as though they have nothing to fear and are merely acting as though it is a normal day, its a day to be feared of. All women come and chat with others and pass on some gossip. Men talk of farming and taxes, as though there life will continue on the same. Children laugh and play, as they all talk about the past school year and gather with friends while they wait the lottery to start. Instead in the film, villagers act suspicious and are all nervous for their afraid of whats going to happen.
This story has decieved apperances in other ways such as, the title; It's called the lottery but distinctively is about the complete opposite. When you are chosen to participate in the lottery it is as though your participating in the best thing that could happen everyone is acting jolly. Shirley describes it as though you draw a piece of paper and if you get a black spot you win! The complete opposite it is a death sentence although they are happy to be doing this because they feel its spiritualy better. A tradition that has taken place