The story begins with a slow, peaceful, and seemingly harmless pace that later turns out to paint a clear picture of violent mob mentality.

The story is set in a small American village where people gather in the town square for an annual traditional occasion known as the “lottery”. People of all ages, from the elderly to children, start gathering as the lottery is about to begin. While adults speak about farming, children rejoice by collecting stones and stacking them in piles. Everyone appears to be enjoying the cheerful sense of community. Mr Summers, who runs the lottery, carries a shabby black box, which serves as a replacement for the original one that was lost long ago. Although the current box is worn and fragile, no one dares to alter or replace it. This is because both the lottery and the black box function as communal heirlooms.

Before the lottery begins, Mr Summers prepares the paper slips and shuffles them inside the box. The names of the families and households are read aloud, and Mr Summers asks if anyone is missing. The lottery follows a bizarre logic: the person who draws the slip with a black dot becomes the “winner”. It soon becomes apparent that this so-called winner will be stoned to death.

Tessie Hutchinson, the central character and ultimate victim, joins her husband and children after arriving late. Upon her delayed yet casual entrance, people begin to gossip. When she nonchalantly takes her place beside her family, word spreads that Bill Hutchinson, Tessie’s husband, “got it”. Almost immediately, Tessie raises her voice, protesting the unfairness of the lottery and claiming that her husband did not get enough time to choose his slip. Yet she remains unheard, exposing the villagers’ silent complicity and indifference to others’ suffering.

Later, Mr Graves empties the box, scattering the slips on the ground, and then places five new papers inside for the Hutchinson family. As Mr Summers calls out their names, each family member steps forward to draw a slip. When the papers are unfolded, it is revealed that Tessie has picked the marked one. She protests, crying, “It isn’t fair! It isn’t fair!” No one listens, not even her own family. She is stoned to death. Even her young son, Davy, is given stones to throw at her.

The characters are intentionally portrayed as ordinary, which shows how violent and inhumane ordinary people can become over time, while also highlighting the cruelty that exists beneath normalcy. The idyllic village setting is sharply juxtaposed with the brutal act of stoning. Jackson also illustrates how tradition is valued over family bonds. Bill Hutchinson, for example, does not hesitate or attempt to save his wife. Instead, he remains rigidly orthodox, adhering to the rules imposed by tradition.

Moreover, Jackson highlights the villagers’ conformity and blind obedience to tradition. They wholeheartedly accept the outcome of the lottery without question. Old Man Warner’s repeated insistence that “there’s always been a lottery” emphasises this unquestioning loyalty to custom. Jackson criticises societies that uphold traditions without reflection, prioritising ritual over reason.

Tessie Hutchinson becomes the scapegoat for the villagers’ blind conformity. Despite being no different from anyone else, she is doomed to be stoned to death. She, too, has been a willing participant in the system, and she likely would not have spoken out had she not been chosen. Jackson foreshadows the story’s brutal conclusion through the children’s casual collection of stones. She portrays the cold-heartedness and cruelty of ordinary people with striking clarity.

In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson exposes a public mentality in which atrocities are normalised and moral judgement is replaced by blind obedience to tradition and convention. Violence is disguised as ritual, sanctioned by society itself. The story offers a powerful critique of social complicity, revealing that true villains often appear as passive participants.

Guilt becomes collective; everyone shares responsibility, whether through direct participation or silent acceptance of brutality. Jackson forces readers to confront the deceptiveness of tradition, unveiling its true nature when left unquestioned through irony, symbolism, and a calm narrative tone.

Ultimately, The Lottery serves as a stark reminder that tradition, when blindly followed, can become a deadly instrument of oppression rather than a force that unites society.