The lottery is a popular form of gambling that awards prizes, usually money, to people who pay for a ticket. Prizes range from the relatively small to the enormous, and a portion of each ticket sale normally goes toward costs and profits for organizers and sponsors. The remainder is available for the winners, whose winnings vary greatly according to the size of the jackpot, and the number of tickets purchased. A jackpot that is not won is carried over to the next drawing, and this can boost ticket sales and public interest.
The word “lottery” derives from the Dutch lotering, which in turn is a diminutive of Old French louter “to draw lots.” Making decisions and determining fates by casting lots has a long history, and lotteries were first introduced to America as a means of raising tax-free revenue. Politicians, in their quest to placate anti-tax voters, embraced them as a safe alternative to higher taxes.
Shirley Jackson’s short story The Lottery takes place in a remote village where tradition holds a great deal of power over the local community. The villagers have accepted the lottery as an unquestionable part of their lives, and anyone who questions it is considered crazy or foolhardy. The story suggests that tradition can be so strong that it has the effect of blinding people to its problems and harms. It also demonstrates how easily and quickly we can fall prey to hypocrisy. Moreover, it shows how easy it is for the supposedly pure to become corrupted and greedy.