The Lottery - By Shirley Jackson

husbands. Soon the women, standing by their

The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, husbands, began to call to their children, and the
children came reluctantly, having to be called four
with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the
or five times. Bobby Martin ducked under his
flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass
mother's grasping hand and ran, laughing, back to
was richly green. The people of the village began
the pile of stones. His father spoke up sharply, and
to gather in the square, between the post office
Bobby came quickly and took his place between
and the bank, around ten o'clock; in some towns
his father and his oldest brother.
there were so many people that the lottery took
two days and had to be started on June 26th, but in
The lottery was conducted--as were the square
this village, where there were only about three
dances, the teen club, the Halloween program--by
hundred people, the whole lottery took less than
Mr. Summers, who had time and energy to devote
two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the
to civic activities. He was a round-faced, jovial
morning and still be through in time to allow the
man and he ran the coal business, and people
villagers to get home for noon
were sorry for him because he had
dinner.
no children and his wife was a scold.
When he arrived in the square,
The children assembled first, of
carrying the black wooden box,
course. School was recently over for
there was a murmur of conversation
the summer, and the feeling of
among the villagers, and he waved
liberty sat uneasily on most of them;
and called,"Little late today, folks."
they tended to gather together
The postmaster, Mr. Graves,
quietly for a while before they broke
followed him, carrying a three-
into boisterous play, and their talk
legged stool, and the stool was put in
was still of the classroom and the
the center of the square and Mr.
teacher, of books and reprimands.
Summers set the black box down on
Bobby Martin had already stuffed
it. The villagers kept their distance,
his pockets full of stones, and the
leaving a space between themselves
other boys soon followed his
and the stool, and when Mr.
example, selecting the smoothest
Summers said, "Some of you fellows
and roundest stones; Bobby and
want to give me a hand?" there was a
Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix-- the villagers
hesitation before two men, Mr. Martin and his
pronounced this name "Dellacroy"--eventually
oldest son, Baxter, came forward to hold the box
made a great pile of stones in one corner of the
steady on the stool while Mr. Summers stirred up
square and guarded it against the raids of the other
the papers inside it.
boys. The girls stood aside, talking among
themselves, looking over their shoulders at the
The original paraphernalia for the lottery had
boys, and the very small children rolled in the
been lost long ago, and the black box now resting
dust or clung to the hands of their older brothers
on the stool had been put into use even before Old
or sisters.
Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born.
Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers
Soon the men began to gather, surveying their
about making a new box, but no one liked to upset
own children, speaking of planting and rain,
even as much tradition as was represented by the
tractors and taxes. They stood together, away
black box. There was a story that the present box
from the pile of stones in the corner, and their
had been made with some pieces of the box that
jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than
had preceded it, the one that had been constructed
laughed. The women, wearing faded house
when the first people settled down to make a
dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their
village here. Every year, after the lottery, Mr.
menfolk. They greeted one another and
Summers began talking again about a new box,
exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their

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 The Lottery - By Shirley Jackson
but every year the subject was allowed to fade off lottery had had to use in addressing each person
without anything being done. The black box grew who came up to draw from the box, but this also
shabbier each year: by now it was no longer had changed with time, until now it was felt
completely black but splintered badly along one necessary only for the official to speak to each
side to show the original wood color, and in person approaching. Mr. Summers was
some places faded or stained. very good at all this; in his clean white
shirt and blue jeans, with one hand
Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, held resting carelessly on the black box, he
the black box securely on the stool until Mr. seemed very proper and important as he
Summers had stirred the papers thoroughly talked interminably to Mr. Graves and the
with his hand. Because so much of the Martins.
ritual had been forgotten or discarded,
Mr. Summers had been successful in Just as Mr. Summers finally left off
having slips of paper substituted for the talking and turned to the assembled
chips of wood that had been used for villagers, Mrs. Hutchinson came
generations. Chips of wood, Mr. Summers had hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater
argued, had been all very well when the village thrown over her shoulders, and slid into place in
was tiny, but now that the population was more the back of the crowd. "Clean forgot what day it
than three hundred and likely to keep on growing, was," she said to Mrs. Delacroix, who stood next
it was necessary to use something that would fit to her, and they both laughed softly. "Thought my
more easily into the black box. The night before old man was out back stacking wood," Mrs.
the lottery, Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves made up Hutchinson went on, "and then I looked out the
the slips of paper and put them in the box, and it window and the kids was gone, and then I
was then taken to the safe of Mr. Summers' coal remembered it was the twenty-seventh and came
company and locked up until Mr. Summers was a-running." She dried her hands on her apron, and
ready to take it to the square next morning. The Mrs. Delacroix said, "You're in time, though.
rest of the year, the box was put away, sometimes They're still talking away up there."
one place, sometimes another; it had spent one
year in Mr. Graves's barn and another year Mrs. Hutchinson craned her neck to see through
underfoot in the post office, and sometimes it was the crowd and found her husband and children
set on a shelf in the Martin grocery and left there. standing near the front. She tapped Mrs.
Delacroix on the arm as a farewell and began to
There was a great deal of fussing to be done make her way through the crowd. The people
before Mr. Summers declared the lottery open. separated good-humoredly to let her through: two
There were the lists to make up--of heads of or three people said, in voices just loud enough to
families, heads of households in each family, be heard across the crowd, "Here comes your,
members of each household in each family. There Missus, Hutchinson," and "Bill, she made it after
was the proper swearing-in of Mr. Summers by all."
the postmaster, as the official of the lottery; at one
time, some people remembered, there had been a Mrs. Hutchinson reached her husband, and Mr.
recital of some sort, performed by the official of Summers, who had been waiting, said cheerfully,
the lottery, a perfunctory, tuneless chant that had "Thought we were going to have to get on without
been rattled off duly each year; some people you, Tessie."
believed that the official of the lottery used to
stand just so when he said or sang it, others Mrs. Hutchinson said, grinning, "Wouldn't have
believed that he was supposed to walk among the me leave m'dishes in the sink, now, would you,
people, but years and years ago this part of the Joe?" and soft laughter ran through the crowd as
ritual had been allowed to lapse. There had been, the people stirred back into position after Mrs.
also, a ritual salute, which the official of the Hutchinson's arrival.

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 The Lottery - By Shirley Jackson
in your hand without looking at it until everyone
"Well, now," Mr. Summers said soberly, "guess has had a turn. Everything clear?"
we better get started, get this over with, so's we
can go back to work. Anybody ain't here?" The people had done it so many times that they
only half listened to the directions: most of them
"Dunbar," several people said. "Dunbar. Dunbar." were quiet, wetting their lips, not looking around.
Then Mr. Summers raised one hand high and said,
Mr. Summers consulted his list. "Clyde Dunbar," "Adams." A man disengaged himself from the
he said. "That's right. He's broke his leg, hasn't crowd and came forward. "Hi. Steve," Mr.
he? Who's drawing for him?" Summers said, and Mr. Adams said, "Hi, Joe."
They grinned at one another humorlessly and
"Me, I guess," a woman said, and Mr. Summers nervously. Then Mr. Adams reached into the black
turned to look at her. box and took out a folded paper. He held it firmly
by one corner as he turned and went hastily back
"Wife draws for her husband," Mr. Summers said. to his place in the crowd, where he stood a little
"Don't you have a grown boy to do it for you, apart from his family, not looking down at his
Janey?" Although Mr. Summers and everyone hand.
else in the village knew the answer perfectly well,
it was the business of the official of the lottery to "Allen," Mr. Summers said. "Anderson....
ask such questions formally. Mr. Summers waited Bentham."
with an expression of polite interest while Mrs.
Dunbar answered. "Seems like there's no time at all between lotteries
any more," Mrs. Delacroix said to Mrs. Graves in
"Horace's not but sixteen yet," Mrs. Dunbar said the back row.
regretfully. "Guess I gotta fill in for the old man
this year." "Seems like we got through with the last one only
last week."
"Right," Mr. Summers said. He made a note on
the list he was holding. Then he asked, "Watson "Time sure goes fast,” Mrs. Graves said.
boy drawing this year?"
"Clark.... Delacroix."
A tall boy in the crowd raised his hand. "Here," he
said. "I’m drawing for my mother and me." He "There goes my old man," Mrs. Delacroix said.
blinked his eyes nervously and ducked his head as She held her breath while her husband went
several voices in the crowd said things like, forward.
"Good fellow, Jack," and "Glad to see your
mother's got a man to do it." "Dunbar," Mr. Summers said, and Mrs. Dunbar
went steadily to the box while one of the women
"Well," Mr. Summers said, "guess that's everyone. said, "Go on, Janey," and another said, "There she
Old Man Warner make it?" goes."

"Here," a voice said, and Mr. Summers nodded. "We're next," Mrs. Graves said. She watched
while Mr. Graves came around from the side of
A sudden hush fell on the crowd as Mr. Summers the box, greeted Mr. Summers gravely and
cleared his throat and looked at the list. "All selected a slip of paper from the box. By now, all
ready?" he called. "Now, I'll read the names-- through the crowd there were men holding the
heads of families first--and the men come up and small folded papers in their large hand, turning
take a paper out of the box. Keep the paper folded them over and over nervously. Mrs. Dunbar and

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 The Lottery - By Shirley Jackson
her two sons stood together, Mrs. Dunbar holding and selected a slip from the box. Then he called,
the slip of paper. "Warner."

"Hurburt.... Hutchinson." "Seventy-seventh year I been in the lottery," Old

Man Warner said as he went through the crowd,
"Get up there, Bill," Mrs. Hutchinson said, and "Seventy-seventh time."
the people near her laughed.
"Watson." The tall boy came awkwardly through
"Jones." the crowd. Someone said, "Don't be nervous,
Jack," and Mr. Summers said, "Take your time,
"They do say," Mr. Adams said to Old Man son."
Warner, who stood next to him, "that over in the
north village they're talking of giving up the "Zanini."
lottery."
After that, there was a long pause, a breathless
Old Man Warner snorted. "Pack of crazy fools," pause, until Mr. Summers, holding his slip of
he said. "Listening to the young folks, nothing's paper in the air, said, "All right, fellows." For a
good enough for them. Next thing you know, minute, no one moved, and then all the slips of
they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, paper were opened. Suddenly, all the women
nobody work any more, live that way for a while. began to speak at once, saving, "Who is it?,"
Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn "Who's got it?," "Is it the Dunbars?," "Is it the
be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be Watsons?" Then the voices began to say, "It's
eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's Hutchinson. It's Bill," "Bill Hutchinson's got it."
always been a lottery," he added petulantly. "Bad
enough to see young Joe Summers up there joking "Go tell your father," Mrs. Dunbar said to her
with everybody." older son.

"Some places have already quit lotteries," Mrs. People began to look around to see the
Adams said. Hutchinsons. Bill Hutchinson was standing quiet,
staring down at the paper in his hand. Suddenly.
"Nothing but trouble in that," Old Man Warner Tessie Hutchinson shouted to Mr. Summers. "You
said stoutly. "Pack of young fools." didn't give him time enough to take any paper he
wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair!"
"Martin." And Bobby Martin watched his father
go forward. "Overdyke.... Percy." "Be a good sport, Tessie," Mrs.
Delacroix called, and
"I wish they'd hurry," Mrs. Dunbar Mrs. Graves said,
said to her older son. "I "All of us took
wish they'd hurry." the same
chance."
"They're almost
through," her son said. "Shut up,
Tessie," Bill
"You get ready to run Hutchinson
tell Dad," Mrs. Dunbar said.
said.
"Well, everyone," Mr.
Mr. Summers called his own Summers said, "that was done
name and then stepped forward precisely pretty fast, and now we've got to be

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 The Lottery - By Shirley Jackson
hurrying a little more to get done in time." He those onto the ground, where the breeze caught
consulted his next list. "Bill," he said, "you draw them and lifted them off.
for the Hutchinson family. You got any other
households in the Hutchinsons?" "Listen, everybody," Mrs. Hutchinson was saying
to the people around her.
"There's Don and Eva," Mrs. Hutchinson yelled.
"Make them take their chance!" "Ready, Bill?" Mr. Summers asked, and Bill
Hutchinson, with one quick glance around at his
"Daughters draw with their husbands' families, wife and children, nodded.
Tessie," Mr. Summers said gently. "You know that
as well as anyone else." "Remember," Mr. Summers said, "take the slips
and keep them folded until each person has taken
"It wasn't fair," Tessie said. one. Harry, you help little Dave."

"I guess not, Joe," Bill Hutchinson said Mr. Graves took the hand of the little boy, who
regretfully. "My daughter draws with her came willingly with him up to the box. "Take a
husband's family; that's only fair. And I've got no paper out of the box, Davy," Mr. Summers said.
other family except the kids."
Davy put his hand into the box and laughed.
"Then, as far as drawing for families is concerned, "Take just one paper," Mr. Summers said. "Harry,
it's you," Mr. Summers said in explanation, "and you hold it for him."
as far as drawing for households is concerned,
that's you, too. Right?" Mr. Graves took the child's hand and removed the
folded paper from the tight fist and held it while
"Right," Bill Hutchinson said. little Dave stood next to him and looked up at him
wonderingly.
"How many kids, Bill?" Mr. Summers asked
formally. "Nancy next," Mr. Summers said. Nancy was
twelve, and her school friends breathed heavily as
"Three," Bill Hutchinson said. she went forward switching her skirt, and took a
slip daintily from the box.
"There's Bill, Jr., and Nancy, and little Dave. And
Tessie and me." "Bill, Jr.," Mr. Summers said, and Billy, his face
red and his feet overlarge, near knocked the box
"All right, then," Mr. Summers said. "Harry, you over as he got a paper out.
got their tickets back?"
"Tessie," Mr. Summers said. She hesitated for a
Mr. Graves nodded and held up the slips of paper. minute, looking around
"Put them in the box, then," Mr. Summers defiantly, and then set her lips
directed. "Take Bill's and put it in." and went up to the box. She
snatched a paper out and held it
"I think we ought to start over," Mrs. Hutchinson behind her.
said, as quietly as she could. "I tell you it wasn't
fair. You didn't give him time enough to choose. "Bill," Mr. Summers said, and
Everybody saw that." Bill Hutchinson reached into
the box and felt around,
Mr. Graves had selected the five slips and put bringing his hand out at last
them in the box, and he dropped all the papers but with the slip of paper in it.

5
 The Lottery - By Shirley Jackson
The crowd was quiet. A girl whispered, "I hope Mr. Dunbar had small stones in both hands, and
it's not Nancy," and the sound of the whisper she said, gasping for breath, "I can't run at all.
reached the edges of the crowd. You'll have to go ahead and I'll catch up with
you."
"It's not the way it used to be," Old Man Warner
said clearly. "People ain't the way they used to The children had stones
be." already. And someone gave
little Davy Hutchinson few
"All right," Mr. Summers said. "Open the papers. pebbles.
Harry, you open little Dave's."
Tessie Hutchinson was in the
Mr. Graves opened the slip of paper and there was center of a cleared space by now, and she held her
a general sigh through the crowd as he held it up hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on
and everyone could see that it was blank. Nancy her. "It isn't fair," she said. A stone hit her on the
and Bill. Jr.. opened theirs at the same time, and side of the head. Old Man Warner was saying,
both beamed and laughed, turning around to the "Come on, come on, everyone." Steve Adams was
crowd and holding their slips of paper above their in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs.
heads. Graves beside him.

"Tessie," Mr. Summers said. There was a pause, "It isn't fair, it isn't right," Mrs. Hutchinson
and then Mr. Summers looked at Bill Hutchinson, screamed, and then they were upon her.
and Bill unfolded his paper and showed it. It was
blank. Text of story provided by:
http://www.amlit.com/twentyss/chap3.html

"It's Tessie," Mr. Summers said, and his voice was

hushed. "Show us her paper, Bill."

Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced

the slip of paper out of her hand. It had a black
spot on it, the black spot Mr.
Summers had made the night before
with the heavy pencil in the coal
company office. Bill Hutchinson held
it up, and there was a stir in the crowd.

"All right, folks." Mr. Summers said. "Let's finish

quickly."

Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and

lost the original black box, they still remembered
to use stones. The pile of stones the boys had
made earlier was ready; there were stones on the
ground with the blowing scraps of paper
that had come out of the box.
Delacroix selected a stone so large she
had to pick it up with both hands and
turned to Mrs. Dunbar. "Come on," she
said. "Hurry up."

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 The Lottery - By Shirley Jackson

VOCABULARY WORDS “shock the readers with a graphic dramatization

Define on a separate sheet of paper. of the pointless violence and general inhumanity
in their own lives.” What “pointless violence”
profusely and “general inhumanity” is she referring to?
boisterous 19. Consider her statement in #18 and your response to
jovial it. Then answer: What is the message of the story
paraphernalia (or the lesson learned by reading the story)?
shabbier 20. Did you like this story?
ritual 21. Explain--with specific reasons--why you did or
perfunctory why you did not like this story.
disengaged
petulantly
defiantly

AFTER READING “The Lottery”

Comprehension & Discussion Questions - Answer
on a separate sheet of paper.

Recalling
1. On which day does the lottery fall each year?
2. Why did Mr. Summers replace the original wood
chips with slips of paper?
3. Who shows up late to the lottery?
4. Why is this character late?
5. Who is not in attendance?
6. Why is this character absent?
7. What is the procedure for someone who cannot
attend?

Analyzing & Applying

8. Which part of the story foreshadows the lottery?
9. How is irony used in the story?
10. Symbolism: What do the black box and stones
represent?
11. Why do the townspeople participate in the lottery?
12. Why don’t they stop having it?
13. Name other cultures that participate(d) in sacrificial
rituals.
14. For what reason(s) did/do these cultures sacrifice
humans or animals?
15. There are certain traditions in our community and
other places that happen year after year. Think of a
particular event (or festival) that happens each year.
What would happen if someone decided to stop
having it each year?
16. Why are people afraid of change?
17. What role do women play in the fictional town?
18. Shirley Jackson said she had the setting in the
present tense (she wrote it in 1948) in order to