Thematic analysis on
The Lottery

In the story “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson, a dieing tradition of death an sacrifice is the only sense of stability that is keeping a small village of three hundred together, and preventing it from advancing as a modern society. The fear of sacrifice does not even scare the smallest of children of this small village, it is all but a big game to them. Adults strut in pride as they advance the decrepit black box and withdraw a slip of paper that could potentially induce them into being the next sacrifice of the town. Not a cry or a tear nor a whimper is shown on the faces of the people of the village knowing the sacrifice could bring them a bountiful crop the new year. The town has used the tradition of sacrifice for decades, proving how far behind on the times they are compared to other villages. Tradition is preventing the village in advancing as a society. It is a mental block that has kept them from developing new ideas to grow and produce a more bountiful, fruitful crop. Besides sacrificing one of its people once a year, the tradition also brings together the town, something most modern societies now have motivational problems in doing so. It is a time for the village to get together, mingle, catch up, and swap stories, better perking up the villagers spirits for the new year. Each year a little more of the tradition is lost, due to forgetfulness, simply the a new generation that proceeds to do it there own way.