The Lottery and Other Stories

what do you think the purpose of the lottery is in the village? why do you think people continue to participate in it?

the lottery

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On the surface the purpose of the lottery was to choose which "lucky" villager will have the "honour" of being ritualistically murdered. We find, through Old Man Warner, that the Lottery might once have been a sacrifice for better crops. Most of the historical traditions and beliefs around the Lottery had been dropped. The villagers still took part in it as a matter of mindless ritual and a morbid sense of entertainment.

On the surface the purpose of the lottery was to choose which "lucky" villager will have the "honour" of being ritualistically murdered. We find, through Old Man Warner, that the Lottery might once have been a sacrifice for better crops. Most of the historical traditions and beliefs around the Lottery had been dropped. The villagers still took part in it as a matter of mindless ritual and a morbid sense of entertainment.

Why do you think the lottery is such a long standing tradition in the village ?