The Lottery1

A detailed Summary of The Lottery1


Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" portrays a small town in which the citizens gather for a yearly lottery. Unlike the "typical" lottery, this is not one you would want to win. Throughout "The Lottery," Jackson focuses on families from the village in order to demonstrate the role of separation of genders. Gender is defined as the sexual identity of a person, especially in relation to society or culture. Gender divisions exist within the community in "The Lottery" and issues of gender help to explain the characters action and thoughts.

During the lottery, everyone is equal and the society is genderless. Although the men draw as the head of the household, the women partake in the final rounds and the stoning of the victim. This is evident when "Mrs. Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it up with both hands"(200). This shows that even though women did not normally participate in town events, the lottery was an exception to the rule. Young girls were also equal to young boys during this event. Both the girls and the boys stoned the victim along with the rest of the community, regardless of gender. This suggests that the lottery serves as a great equalizer abolishing all forms of separation of gender.


In conclusion, Jackson's "The Lottery" which depicts a small town, focuses on families from the village in order to demonstrate the role of gender divisions. Gender is sexual identity of a person, specifically in relation to society or culture. This is evident in division of labor, the role of women versus the role of men, and the purpose of the lottery. ALtough a lottery like this is unheard of in today's society, senseless violence like this still exists.



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Approximate Word count = 927
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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