The Lottery – A Book Review
A lottery is a game of chance in which winning a prize depends on the draw of lots. The drawing of lots is an ancient practice, used for a variety of purposes in many cultures and religions. People cast lots to determine their fates, but they also use them for material gain, and state governments regularly hold lotteries to raise money for everything from municipal repairs to public charities. In the past, people bought tickets in order to win big prizes, but modern lotteries are typically computerized and sold over the Internet.
Unlike traditional gambling, the lottery relies on a core group of players who purchase tickets for regular draws. These are called super users, and they generate up to 70 to 80 percent of a lottery’s revenue from just 10 percent of its total population. This business model has produced a number of problems, as described in a recent article by Les Bernal, an anti-state-sponsored gambling activist. First, as the number of super users has grown, it has become increasingly difficult for lottery sponsors to keep ticket prices low enough to compete with casino games and other forms of gambling.
Another problem is that while lottery revenues swell state coffers, they come at the expense of other government expenditures. The fact is, states need to spend money on things like roads, schools, and police officers in addition to providing a social safety net for their citizens. The popularity of the lottery, however, makes it hard for state officials to balance budgets without raising taxes or cutting services.
The Lottery Analysis
A few characterization methods appear in this short story, but the most notable is Mrs. Delacroix’s quick temper. She is a very determined character, and her action of picking the stone with two hands reflects this determination. She is also a very practical woman, and her actions in the final scene reflect this as well, when she tries to make the most out of the stones.
In addition, the theme of family is presented through Mrs. Delacroix’s relationship with her husband, Mr. Summer. She is a woman who has always put her family before herself, even at the cost of her own happiness. She is willing to risk her own happiness for the sake of her family, and this is demonstrated by the way she acts in the story’s end.
The Lottery is a story about the power of tradition to dictate human behavior. The story reveals that in some societies, traditions are so strong that they can’t be broken by rational thought. This can lead to violence and oppression of other members of a society, as shown by the way that Mrs. Hutchison is treated in the story. Sadly, this is something that we often see in the real world. People tend to condone such behavior, perhaps because it is what they have always known, and it doesn’t seem any different than the way that they treat each other.