Research Paper On The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Physicist, cosmologist, and author Stephen Hawking once said, “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” Individuals can oftentimes be reluctant to reject outdated traditions, ideas, rules, laws, and practices. This is because they are not open to the idea of change. Tradition gives people the illusion of permanence which creates an image in one’s mind that cannot be easily changed, thus resulting in many outdated and unreasonable traditions in today’s society. In the short story “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson satirizes society's unwillingness to change through Old Man Warner’s actions and illogical thoughts Society’s reluctance to change is emphasized by the characteristics and actions of Old Man Warner. For example, when the details of the lottery are being described, it is mentioned that

For instance, right after Bill Hutchinson drew for his paper, Old Man Warner said, “It’s not the way it used to be. People ain’t the way they used to be” (300). Old Man Warner just wants it to be the same as it used to be. Oftentimes, tradition can bring back memories, both good and bad, and by keeping the tradition of the lottery, Old Man Warner has the privilege of having something that he has been able to rely on his entire life. In addition, when Mr. Adams brings up the possibility of the north village getting rid of the lottery, Old Man Warner asserts, “There’s always been a lottery. Bad enough to see young Joe Summers up there joking with everybody” (297). It is hard for Old Man Warner to hear that the north village is thinking about giving up their lottery. However, this relates to all of society; sometimes the worst part of change is hearing it for the first time. Further proving that Old Man Warner was not illogical or unreasonable, he was just a man that wanted to continue what he had always