Selfishness In Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

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"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is a story about a small town, where the feeling of empathy is absent from the minds of every individual who participate in this yearly event. In this town, the people have a strong belief in this sacrificial game which will determine who will be stoned to death for good crops for the following year. Mr. Summers, Old Man Warner, Tessie Hutchinson, Bill Hutchinson, Mrs. Delacroix and Mrs. Graves demonstrate how the heritage of the town has brainwashed them into selfishness through “The Lottery”, without mercy, remorse or hesitation.

The author portrays a lot of symbolism though out this short novel. In the eyes of society, no matter how good a person may think they are, they can take on a role in adapting to
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