Discussion Topic
Major problems and language issues in "The Lottery"
Summary:
In "The Lottery," major problems include the blind adherence to tradition and the violence it perpetuates. Language issues involve the use of euphemisms and casual dialogue to normalize the brutality, as well as the contrast between the ordinary setting and the horrific outcome, which heightens the story's impact.
What is the major problem in "The Lottery"?
The central conflict, or problem, in "The Lottery" is that the people blindly accept the traditions of their ancestors without questioning whether those practices are necessary in their own society.
When the story opens, the townspeople seem to be gathering for a rather pleasant community event. The weather is clear and sunny, and the atmosphere is light. However, this gathering is not cordial.
Instead, they have come to sacrifice one of their own. They aren't even quite sure why they continue to do this. The tradition is so old that no one in town, not even the oldest citizen, quite knows the origins of the lottery. When someone comments that in another village, people are considering giving up the lottery, Mr. Warner comments,
Used to be a saying about "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon." First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns....
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There's always been a lottery.
To the townspeople, there is some association between the lottery and their quality of life. They are never quite able to put it into words exactly what they are accomplishing or how the human sacrifice supports the goals of the town, yet they blindly follow this tradition nonetheless.
Ultimately, Tessie Hutchinson is selected as the unfortunate soul who will be sacrificed, and even she is willing to attempt to spare herself by trying to sacrifice her daughter instead. Tessie's youngest child, too small to even collect rocks of his own and who is offered "pebbles" instead, participates in the stoning of his mother. We therefore see that this problem is being passed down to the next generation, the town solidifying the importance of the lottery without ever stopping to ascertain the necessity of it.
What are the language issues in "The Lottery"?
While the dialogue of the story is interesting because it is so vague, the use of certain pronunciations and words suggests that language is being used in "The Lottery" to create an Old-World feeling in a world that looks and seems New World.
The first issue of language comes in the opening paragraphs of the story. The villagers pronounce the name "Delacroix" as "Delacroy," instead of the tradition French pronunciation of "Delacraw." This suggests a complete rural setting.
The next language issue comes from the use of the word "menfolk" in the sentence "The women ... came shortly after their menfolk." Again, this suggests a rural environment. Jackson could have used several other words ("husbands," "significant others," "beaus," etc.). But the use of "menfolk" sounds old-fashioned.
My final example of language issues occurs when Mrs. Hutchinson arrives at the lottery and everyone gives her a hard time for being late. Mrs. Hutchinson reacts to the teasing with "Wouldn't have me leave m'dishes in the sink, now..." The word "m'dishes" seems a bit colloquial and dated to the Old World. Again, this suggests the story's setting is a place stuck a long time ago.