Shirley Jackson's short story presents us with a view of the inhumanity, unfairness, and cruelty in the world. She draws on the fact that everyone, no matter if traditionally or spontaneously done, has some form of cruelty or unfairness within themselves and also how society influences the action of out children.
This story takes place in a small town that practices a traditional lottery. The lottery, usually associated with a monetary prize, is now associated with death by stoning. This unfair treatment is a perfect example of the way society can treat individuals inhumanely or cruel. Mrs. Hutcherson's death was chosen by a slip of paper; this showed how society does not give you an option but takes your life in its hands and controls it the way it wants. Ms. Hutcherson's death by the lottery was the realization of the way life comes and goes before be know it because of society and its views about the treatment of individuals. .
Society also decides how they will treat someone beforehand without emotional remorse if the treatment hurts the person emotionally or physically. For example an immigrant's life is basically laid out for him, to be shunned by the natives and treated as an outcast. The immigrant has to struggle more than the natives to prove that he or she can do just as well as the natives. Jackson's exaggeration on society's treatment of people showed me how society randomly picks out people of shun and treat inhumanly for no apparent reason.
Finally Jackson showed how society influences the behavior of our children. The children in the story are not portrayed as innocent beings; they are more brutal than the adults. The children begin the story in preparation of the stoning; they gather stones before the lottery even begin picking out the smoothest and roundest. They act as if the death of someone is just a game because in the end they are also the first to begin throwing rocks at Ms.