Toxic Traditions: The Theme of Social Conformity in 'The Lottery'

Introduction

"The Lottery" is a short story by Shirley Jackson that introduces the reader to the traditions of a small town. However, it is not a joyful tradition like decorating a Christmas tree; it is much darker. Every year, the town holds an event they call a lottery, where all the townspeople gather together, and one member, typically the oldest male, draws a piece of paper. If that piece of paper has a certain black dot, it proves fatal for the family, as one member of the family will be randomly chosen and stoned by the rest of the town. This is a very dark tradition that the whole town participates in, including children.

Toxic Traditions: The Theme of Social Conformity in "The Lottery"

There are many symbols in "The Lottery" that can be linked to society today. The most significant symbol, however, is the theme of tradition. The lottery itself is the tradition, and it demonstrates that tradition, no matter how toxic or unusual, will always have adherents who resist change. In the short story, a town elder sits on the sidelines while families pick a piece of paper from the box, muttering phrases like "crazy fools" and "Listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them. Next thing you know, they’ll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody works anymore, live that way for a while. 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. There’s always been a lottery" (Jackson, 1948). He believes changing the way things are done will only lead to chaos and thinks that change is the beginning of something much worse, leading the new generation to want to change everything and discard all traditions. His way of thinking is very toxic and exemplifies following something without understanding it, merely because "it's how it’s always been." This is one example of how people today follow rules, traditions, or the status quo blindly and without forming their own opinions.

Another point to consider is the fact that the people of the town are still passing the tradition down to younger generations and do not give them a choice about whether they want to follow this tradition. The children in this story are taught from a very young age that it is acceptable to continue this tradition. In the story, a woman gives a rock to a very young boy, the son of the mother who was chosen to die. This shows that in the culture of this town, most people are more than okay with the tradition, to the extent that they will hand a rock to a child to help kill their own mother in a very gruesome way. This highlights the danger of not changing practices just because they are traditional. This relates to today because many older generations are stubborn and stick to their ways, and more than that, they teach and enforce their thinking onto everyone else, including younger generations.

The final piece of evidence that shows the symbol of tradition and how it can be linked to today’s culture is the fear and compliance the people exhibit. People can be forced into repeating the traditions they were taught, even if they disagree with them. For example, in the story, the family member that grabbed the paper with the black dot was the father. When he revealed he was the one with the mark on his paper, his wife instantly stood by his side, defended him, and asked for a redraw. Consequently, the members of the family, even the children, draw papers again to see who the new member to be killed will be. This time, however, the wife is chosen, and unlike how she defended her husband, her husband remains quiet, accepting the fact his wife would be killed instead of him. Looking at the story through the lens of fear gives it a whole new meaning. Instead of viewing the town as a bunch of blind idiots who never want change, we can see them as a town struck by fear and too scared to do anything different or stand up to anything. Today, people who know certain things are wrong remain quiet due to fear.

Conclusion

In conclusion, throughout the story of "The Lottery," there are several themes and symbols of toxic traditions and blind conformity, where individuals do nothing to enact change due to either fear or blind belief. Much of the symbolism directly links to how people act today. It serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us of the importance of questioning harmful traditions and the courage required to challenge the status quo.

References

Jackson, S. (1948). The Lottery. The New Yorker.