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9th grade 60 min write, got the prompt at the beginning of the write. Surprising how things change...posted since it was brought up recently.
Traditions of Death
Death has been used to please the gods before, but never in recent time. Their traditions were discarded and decided to be a useless waste. In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery,” the community members’ blind adherence to traditions desensitizes them.
The Lottery’s supposed necessity for the welfare of the town clouds the judgment of its people. Here, Old Man Warner gives one reason the people practice the Lottery, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.”(98). This displays the reliance of the Lottery on the towns survival, and their thoughts that it will aid them in their ways. It also displays the superstition that the Lottery is perceived by outside forces that affect the town. In response to the thought of abolishing the Lottery, Old Man Warner replies, “Pack of crazy fools…There’s always been a Lottery.”(98). His reaction to this thought brings to the surface the reality that there hasn’t been anything but the Lottery practiced in the town. This system of close-mindedness directly contributes to the townspeople’s need to keep on practicing this old and irrational ritual. The townships collective thought process has been veiled in such a way that they have no way of thinking around their ancestral practice.
In disposing of a human life for a trivial practice, the town degrades itself to the level of barbarians. In discovering her family has been chosen to lose a member, Tessie Hutchinson screams, “You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair!”(99). Her screams are neglected, as the tradition is continued. The bestial mind of the people completely passes over her despair of remorse to the atrocity that is about to be committed. After Tessie draws the marked paper to show that she will be the one stoned, the townspeople are hurried along with rocks in their hands, even the children: “The children had stones already, and someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles.”(100). This is the epitome of the complete lack of loyalty and faith this ritual shows in family and fellow man. The thought that ones own son would join in the joyous occasion of stoning their parent to death is a model of blind obedience. In practice of this obscene event, the town is dehumanized and desecrated to the level of beasts.
The act of killing another person is a taboo that nearly all follow. To break this is to break one of the most sacred laws of life. The township relentlessly breaks this year after year in their thought that it “improves their society” and pleases a power that they can’t begin to know exists, or to comprehend why it would ask for such a despicable task to be completed.
Traditions of Death
Death has been used to please the gods before, but never in recent time. Their traditions were discarded and decided to be a useless waste. In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery,” the community members’ blind adherence to traditions desensitizes them.
The Lottery’s supposed necessity for the welfare of the town clouds the judgment of its people. Here, Old Man Warner gives one reason the people practice the Lottery, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.”(98). This displays the reliance of the Lottery on the towns survival, and their thoughts that it will aid them in their ways. It also displays the superstition that the Lottery is perceived by outside forces that affect the town. In response to the thought of abolishing the Lottery, Old Man Warner replies, “Pack of crazy fools…There’s always been a Lottery.”(98). His reaction to this thought brings to the surface the reality that there hasn’t been anything but the Lottery practiced in the town. This system of close-mindedness directly contributes to the townspeople’s need to keep on practicing this old and irrational ritual. The townships collective thought process has been veiled in such a way that they have no way of thinking around their ancestral practice.
In disposing of a human life for a trivial practice, the town degrades itself to the level of barbarians. In discovering her family has been chosen to lose a member, Tessie Hutchinson screams, “You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair!”(99). Her screams are neglected, as the tradition is continued. The bestial mind of the people completely passes over her despair of remorse to the atrocity that is about to be committed. After Tessie draws the marked paper to show that she will be the one stoned, the townspeople are hurried along with rocks in their hands, even the children: “The children had stones already, and someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles.”(100). This is the epitome of the complete lack of loyalty and faith this ritual shows in family and fellow man. The thought that ones own son would join in the joyous occasion of stoning their parent to death is a model of blind obedience. In practice of this obscene event, the town is dehumanized and desecrated to the level of beasts.
The act of killing another person is a taboo that nearly all follow. To break this is to break one of the most sacred laws of life. The township relentlessly breaks this year after year in their thought that it “improves their society” and pleases a power that they can’t begin to know exists, or to comprehend why it would ask for such a despicable task to be completed.
posted by A Modern Man at 12:51 PM
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