Suzanne wrote:I believe violence and cruelty are the motiviating factors in this ritual. The villiagers enjoy it, especially the women. This can be seen with Tessie trying to sacrifice her daughter, and with Mrs. Delecroix choosing the largest rock. Pure violence for entertainment sake.

I think this is also because Tessie is seen as a scapegoat. Once she is chosen, she carries all of the bad of the town within her according to the minds of the villagers. It is easy to be violent to someone who has become an outsider to the group as Tessie has. Thus, the villagers get their crops, their scapegoat, and their entertainment all wrapped up in one easy package.

With a ribbon on top. It is easier to blame those you are dead than your own actions. Sad part is, there are countries who are literally doing this.

Krysondra wrote:

It is easy to be violent to someone who has become an outsider to the group as Tessie has.

This is interesting. So, when Tessie "wins" she becomes an outsider, almost like a stranger. The villiagers can then rationalize that she is no longer a part of their group, even though they have lived with her and knew her. This way they can kill her without remorse. I never thought about this.

Droid said that it would be easier to be killed, than watching and participating in the killing of a loved one. I feel the same way. But, to continue this line of thinking, there would be no love between family members or friends. How could there be. At a young age the villiagers realize that either they will be killed, by family or friends, or they themselves will have to do the killing. Ick!

It's a totally ick-worthy thought, but everyone in the village grows up knowing someone they know will die every year. It seems like a small village so it would stand that it's someone they know personally. So, any love would be a warped and dysfunctional love that they knew would eventually lead to pain and death.

My question is why would a family stay there? Just to kow that you father was killed one year. Then your best friend's sister. Then the neighbor down the road. Why would you let your children be in danger of being stoned....by you! I would get the heck out of Dodge!

In that world, the Lottery happens almost everywhere. It keeps things the way that they should be. It's a type of religious sacrifice that makes the crops grow and keeps the world in order. They might not like it, but in their eyes, can they afford to live without it?

Very interesting. I wonder if their whole community structure would actually fall apart if it wasn't for the lottery?

My question is why would a family stay there?

I think that the families who stay there are the ones who have been there for a while. Therefore, the lottery is a tradition to them like celebrating Christmas is a tradition for some. They simply got used to it. Plus, the children experience this every year as well and believe that this is a right and not a wrong.
Imagine if you were used to that and you moved to somewhere that doesn't do it, wouldn't you wonder why they didn't do it, like they would wonder why you did do it?

If I could interview the author, I'd definitely ask her how this tradition started in the first place, and why.

One thing I liked about this story was the fact that the author used the lottery, which the readers recognize as something different than how she used it in the story. This kept the suspense and curiosity flowing to the very end. Normally I can guess what happens at the end of a book/short story, but I could not for this one; all I could do was wonder and keep reading.

Because it will be the same way the next place you go....although apparently that is changing, but there is mention of towns that are so big they have to start early...So that is just how life is.