The dangers of ritual and mass thinking

No matter how many times you read it, the ending delivers a full dose of gut-punch shock. 

Written in 1948, Shirley Jackson’s short story The Lottery introduces the reader to a small village of 300 people – men, women, children who proudly and very warmly call themselves neighbors and friends. They’re readying themselves for something called The Lottery, a long-held tradition that involves a pile of stones, an old, faded black box, and a foreboding slip of paper with a dark, black dot.  

A ritual is about to happen, and as the villagers ready themselves for this ancient tradition, we catch scenes of seemingly innocuous moments in life: 

Children gather a pile of stones 

Women do dishes at their kitchen sink

Old men talk about rain, tractors, and taxes 

It’s important to note that the village event about to take place is described as a “civic” activity. 

It’s one of those “always been done this way” cultural habits that no one thinks twice about, a mindless ritual that no one understands WHY it’s happening and no one bothers to ask if it should still be taking place.  

But Jackson also lets us know that understanding doesn’t seem to matter in this village. All anyone cares about is clinging to the old way (as shown by the damning words of Old Man Warner when he hears gossip that neighboring villages are thinking about doing away with the lottery):  

“Pack of crazy fools,” he said. “Listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them. Next thing you know, they’ll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live that way for a while. . . First thing you know, we’d all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There’s always been a lottery,” he added petulantly. “Bad enough to see young Joe Summers up there joking with everybody.”

“Some places have already quit lotteries,” Mrs. Adams said.

“Nothing but trouble in that,” Old Man Warner said stoutly. “Pack of young fools.”

Shutting himself off from the wisdom of new perspective, Old Man Warner delivers Shirley Jackson’s first hint at what happens when we embed ourselves too deeply into mindless tradition. 

The second hint arrives when Mrs. Hutchinson’s husband draws the slip of paper with the black circle.

The villagers gasp – some with sorrow, others with relief as they watch the Hutchinson family follow the order of the ritual. They must all place their slips of paper back into the black box. 

And it’s here where we learn the horrifying truth behind the village ritual: They’re drawing papers because one of them must die. 

You can pick this story apart in dozens of ways. You can identify countless themes and name endless interpretations. 

But I don’t think you need to be a literary critic to spot the obvious message: We are creatures who are prone to blindly following traditions. We’re easily swayed by ritual and mass thinking, and when we fail to question “the way we’ve always done it,” tragedy ensues. 

Mrs. Hutchinson screamed as her neighbors, friends, and even her own children hurled stones at her head – completely mindlessly and without an acknowledged shred of conviction. 

“It isn’t fair, it isn’t right,” she said.

They were her last words – spoken far too late.

****If you liked this installment of Endnotes, be sure to follow along. I believe there are deep, widely applicable truths in some of the most widely read stories of our culture. I’ll be looking at those truths and sharing what I find here with you. 

I'm Lindsay Hotmire, and I partner with small business owners and do-good organizations who feel stuck, confused, and unclear on their brand messaging. Using the strategies inside my Two Story Framework, I help them find the clarity, strategy, and messaging they need so they can live out their mission and authentically share their big story. Learn more at storyhousefifteen.com