Lottery is an arrangement in which a prize, such as cash or goods, is awarded to the winner or a small group of winners by a random draw. The arrangement is often a form of gambling, and the prize may be used for a variety of purposes. Some lotteries are purely financial, in which participants pay a fee for the chance to win a large jackpot; others award prizes based on merit or other factors. In the United States, state governments operate lotteries in order to raise money for public uses; they are considered a painless form of taxation.
Shirley Jackson’s short story The Lottery takes place in a small American village that is largely controlled by traditions and customs. The setting of the story reveals many sins in humanity, such as the lack of loyalty between family members. The story also shows that a person’s death in the lottery can be viewed as just another sacrifice for a larger social cause.
The story opens as Mr. Summers, the man who represents authority in the village, gathers the villagers together at the town square and tells them that a lottery is about to take place. He explains that the lottery is ancient, and they must follow tradition. The villagers all gather at the square with their black boxes, which contain a slip of paper.
The people then begin to draw their tickets, and as the process continues the apprehension grows. When a boy from the Hutchinson family draws, it becomes clear that the prize for this lottery is something horrifying.