What is a Lottery?
A lottery is a gambling game in which people pay to be given the chance of winning a prize, such as money. While some governments outlaw lotteries, others endorse them and regulate them. In the United States, state lotteries are usually run by a government agency or public corporation. The lottery can be a great way to raise money for many different purposes. Some examples include paying for roads, school buildings, and even building a nation. However, the lottery can also be a waste of money. Some numbers seem to come up more often than others, but this is just random chance.
The short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson takes place in a small American village. This setting helps to establish the theme that lottery is a sinful activity. As the story progresses, the villagers’ hypocrisy and evil nature are revealed. For example, when Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves are planning the lottery, they make sure that there are enough tickets for every family in town. However, they fail to notice that there is one ticket missing from the box.
When the lottery is finally held, each head of family draws a slip of paper from the box. The only difference between the slips is that one of them is marked with a black spot. If the head of a family draws the black-spotted slip, they must draw again. This process continues until there is a winner. Although the chances of winning are low, some people still play the lottery. Research shows that the majority of lottery players are from middle-income neighborhoods and that they are less likely to play in low-income communities.