The Lottery Societal Analysis

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The Lottery is a short story in which an immensely troubling society is portrayed. More concerning than the mere portrayal of such a mindset though, is the parallels that can be drawn to our own society. Although one may not view our society as blatantly violent and unappreciative of human life, we do share many of the same basic flaws which allow the violence of The Lottery to persist. The problems which arise from the distorted mindset of the society within the story are but a magnification of issues we face due to similar imperfections within our own society.
Keywords: societal, illusionment, susceptibility

Societal Analysis of The Lottery
The society in The Lottery is presented in a very ambiguous way; the setting is merely a small village of average people. No clue is given to the exact location or time period in which the narrative takes place, which allows it to give a sense of familiarity to any who happen to read it. This is an imperative factor of the story because The Lottery itself focuses on a dilemma which is faced by societies around the world: the …show more content…
This tradition is horrific and terribly insensible to readers, yet only the winner of the Lottery finds fault with it during the course of the story. In fact, all other characters are insistent about the assiduity of this tradition, and some even claim that it is imperative to the healthy continuation of their society. However, there is no direct benefit to the Lottery other than pacifying outdated superstitions perpetuated by a complacent mindset. It is clearly stated within the story that there are some places in which the Lottery has been discontinued, yet this idea is scoffed at by the villagers. It is this unwillingness to accept change and defy tradition- even if the tradition is rooted in nonsensical superstition- that is detrimental to the society of The
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