A History of Lottery
Lottery is a form of gambling where people purchase tickets for a chance to win a prize. Typically the prizes are cash or goods. Occasionally they are services or even real estate. In most cases the proceeds from the lottery are used for public services such as parks, schools, or funds for seniors and veterans. In addition to state-run lotteries, there are a number of privately run ones as well.
While the earliest lotteries were probably simply games of chance to determine ownership of land or other property, modern ones are usually conducted as a government-approved enterprise, wherein participants buy tickets and a winner is chosen by drawing lots. Some states are legally required to conduct lotteries, while others allow them at the discretion of the state legislature. In the nineteenth century, as Cohen explains, the popularity of lotteries collided with a crisis in state funding. As the population grew and inflation began to accelerate, balancing budgets became increasingly difficult without raising taxes or cutting services.
There are several significant undertones in this story. First, it criticizes blind obedience to tradition. The villagers in this story do not question the traditions of the lottery, even though they are obviously outdated and inefficient. Instead, they treat those who try to change or question the old ways as crazy fools.
The story also shows that the exploitation of a minority group can be accepted by the majority of the population. Those who are not part of the majority, like Tessie Hutchinson, feel powerless to protest the lottery. This shows that democracy, when it is abused, can lead to evil things happening in small, seemingly peaceful places.