Lottery is a form of gambling that involves drawing lots for money prizes. It can be found all over the world and is usually run by governments. It is a common source of funding for government projects. A common example is the lottery to fund schools.
In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson depicts a small village that is controlled by tradition. The story illustrates human evil nature through the events that take place in the village. Despite knowing that the arrangement is wrong, the people continue with it. This is because they follow tradition blindly.
The villagers are gathered together as Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves begin the arrangements for the lottery. They create a list of the major families in town and mark each with a black dot. They then give the slips of paper to the villagers who enter them into a black box that is kept by Mr. Summers. This box was made with pieces of the original one that the villagers built when they first settled in the village.
The villagers have a sense of apprehension as they draw their numbers and wait for the result. The sense of fear is even greater when they discover that the winner is Tessie Hutchinson. They do not know what she is going to receive but are worried that she will ruin their lives. The villagers do not understand that they could lose their jobs, homes, or other property because of the prize. The villagers are also unsure how they will pay for the prize. They do not want to be burdened with debt.