A History of Lotteries
In the Shirley Jackson short story The Lottery, people play a lottery to determine fates. They gather for the event in a small American village, where tradition and customs dominate the lives of the villagers. The characters in the story act in ways that demonstrate human evil and deception. The lottery provides an example of the many ways in which people mislead and harm themselves.
A History of Lotteries
Throughout the history of humanity, lottery-like games have been popular with a wide range of audiences. The casting of lots to make decisions and determine fates has a long history, but the modern lottery has only been around since the mid-19th century. The first public lotteries were held in the Roman Empire for city repairs and to distribute fancy dinnerware.
The contemporary lottery owes its origin to New Hampshire, which established one in 1964. Inspired by its success, most states now operate lotteries. Almost all of these lotteries are subsidized by state governments, which benefit from the revenue they generate. Unlike a tax on a particular commodity, lotteries have broad popular support, and state politicians have grown accustomed to their revenue stream.
While the odds of winning the lottery are very slim—there is a much greater chance of being struck by lightning or becoming a billionaire—people continue to buy tickets. The reason is that they have come to believe that lotteries are a legitimate way to avoid paying taxes and improve their standard of living. They also believe that they are helping to support worthy public services such as education, elder care, or public parks.
In the Shirley Jackson short story The Lottery, people play a lottery to determine fates. They gather for the event in a small American village, where tradition and customs dominate the lives of the villagers. The characters in the story act in ways that demonstrate human evil and deception. The lottery provides an example of…