On June 28th 1948, when Shirley Jackson's bone chilling short story, "The Lottery,"" was published, the feedback was not what Jackson presumed. The audience found the story to be shocking, outrageous and gruesome. The Lottery is a short story about an annual tradition, it is a random selection of one person and that chosen person is stoned to death by the people of the town. The Lottery created so much outrage in the readers simply because the story was written shortly after World War II, the lottery could be cancelled but instead it goes on and the story ended rapidly and appalling. The story which unravels in "The Lottery," is a good example of what could happen to us, if it's not already happening somewhere. .
With War World II ending in 1945 and "The Lottery,"" published just a short three years later, it is no surprise that readers had outrage and concern reading it the first time. This story has a strong relationship to the experiences of the war. Jackson fails to mention to the reader the location of the story, just that the land is rocky and filled with stones. The population is small, around 300 people and they are a agrarian community. The term "the lottery"" gives the reader an idea that it is a democracy. When Tessie is chosen, she is now the main target. In this way she can be compared to the Jews who never believed that the Nazi party could lead to their death. Tessie then protests the unfairness of the process. Mr. Summers can represent Hitler in a way because Mr. Summers is the leader of the lottery and everyone obeys him. When nobody responds other than to stone Tessie to death, this can reflect the gloating of the citizens of Europe and other countries. The citizens of Europe and the citizens in the lottery ask no questions and make no remarks; they just do as they are told even though they know what is going on is wrong.
The lottery had been an annual tradition for as far as we know longer than 77 years.
