The History of the Lottery
A lottery is a game of chance in which people pay to win prizes. The prize money may be cash or goods. People often play the lottery for large sums of money, though they can also win smaller prizes such as tickets to sports games or events. A lottery is a form of gambling and some governments regulate it. In the United States, state governments run lotteries.
The casting of lots to make decisions and determine fate has a long history in human culture. The modern lottery, in which participants pay to enter a draw and then select numbers, is a relatively recent development. Some early lotteries distributed money for civic repairs. Others rewarded people for military service or medical procedures. In the 17th century, Benjamin Franklin organized a lottery to raise funds for cannons to defend Philadelphia against the French, according to the Encyclopedia of American History.
Jackson’s tale of the lottery is a chilling allegory of mob mentality and blind conformity. Rather than accepting the lottery as a necessary and reasonable ritual, the villagers react to the results of the draw with brutality. The story serves as a warning against the dangers of social conformity and the capacity for violence and death in human nature.
While the villagers are all guilty of violating the basic principles of humanity in their desire to be included in the drawing, there is also an element of stupidity at work here. As mentioned above, they all ignore the fact that the black box says that one person in the village will be killed. They also fail to understand that a woman cannot win the lottery and therefore has no need to attend the lottery ceremony.
Although the villagers are all corrupt, the fact remains that they are willing to sacrifice the life of a woman for their adherence to tradition. As a result, the lottery is a dangerous and deadly event.
A common argument in favor of the lottery is that proceeds are used to fund a public good such as education. However, studies have shown that lottery revenues tend to increase rapidly after a state adopts one and then level off or decline. As a result, the lottery industry has to constantly introduce new games in order to keep revenues up.