The Lottery – Shirley Jackson (1948)
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson depicts a small village's annual lottery event. As the villagers gather in the square, children play and collect stones, while adults engage in quiet conversation. The story explores themes of tradition and community as the lottery unfolds.
- ▪The lottery takes place in a small village with about three hundred residents.
- ▪Children gather first, collecting stones while adults engage in conversation.
- ▪Mr. Summers conducts the lottery, using a black box that symbolizes tradition.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
FictionThe LotteryBy Shirley JacksonJune 19, 1948Photograph by Garrett GroveSave this storySave this storySave this storySave this storyAudio: Read by A. M. Homes.|||The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green. The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o’clock; in some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took only about two hours, so it could begin at ten o’clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner.The…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The New Yorker.
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