Confronting Ostracism In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson

When initially reading Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” focusing on aspects of themes and ideas is difficult, as the apparently seamless shift from ordinary socialization to death is highly outrageous. However, after multiple readings, Jackson’s messages become more apparent, with her prominent theme tackling societal norms. Growing up Catholic, attending parochial school until sixth grade, and regularly attending church creates a tendency for me to follow tradition and rituals, without question. Yet, Jackson’s story directly challenges the ethics of this behavior as she criticizes how society functions, blindly maintaining the status quo simply because that is how it has “always been” (246), regardless of its morality or relevance in the modern world. Even

My children, and the men they become, are extremely important to me; I often wonder what to teach them and how. Confronting ostracism remains a constant reality for them due to neurological challenges, such as Autism, ADHD, and Dyslexia, and developing their self-advocacy skills is a struggle, yet imperative to successfully navigating society. Consequently, their open inquiries regarding reasons for doing things often teaches me, as it challenges my perceptions. Therefore, my perspective fluctuates daily; things I trust today, I perceive differently tomorrow and I hear their voices in the words of Jackson’s anecdote, contributing validity to her message. Abdicating responsibility for worldly happenings through lack of participation in negative deeds is not acceptable, thus, by heeding Jackson’s cautionary tale, I realize what I must teach them. In seeking to improve the world, it is vital to resist the tendency towards silence regarding conventional practices, vocally respond when perceiving something as unmerited or inhumane, and help to fight for those unable to speak for