The Lottery
Chance-based prize system
"The Lottery" is a 1948 short story by Shirley Jackson about a small town's annual ritual that ends in violence.
The story shocked readers with its depiction of ordinary people participating in brutal tradition without question.
It has become a touchstone for discussions of conformity, mob mentality, and the dangers of blindly following custom: It's like something out of "The Lottery." The phrase win the lottery in ironic or dark contexts sometimes alludes to the story's grim twist.
- ticketEntry permit slip
- jackpotAccumulated gambling prize
- numbersCounting and calculation symbols
- quick pickLottery's random number generator
- winnerOne who prevails
big winner · drawing · chance · luck · gamble · prize · lucky numbers · random · odds · millions · Powerball · scratch-off · fortune · balls · hopeful · riches · village · black box
- Short StoriesThe Tell-Tale Heart, The Yellow Wallpaper, The Black Cat, Rip Van Winkle, The Queen of Spades
- FieldingTom Jones, Amelia, plays, Eurydice, comedic plays
- Hogarth Worksconversation pieces, self-portraits
- anthologiesanthology, anthologies, collection, poetry collection, compilation
- Gothic LiteratureEdgar Allan Poe, Jane Eyre, Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights, The Tell-Tale Heart
The LotteryA Christmas Carol
Holiday tale of transformation
happy ending · redemption narrative · Charlotte's Web · Pollyanna · fairy tale
The LotteryOur Town
Play about everyday existence
utopian fiction · community celebration · Mayberry · Walden · The Waltons
The Lotterymeritocracy
Advancement through demonstrated ability
competition · examination · audition · merit system · tournament
lottery, lotteries, lot, lots, allot, allots, allotted, allotting, allotment