The Lottery1.docx

The Lottery1.docx

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TheLottery1

TheLottery

ShirleyJackson

ThemorningofJune27thwasclearandsunny,withthefreshwarmthofafull-summerday;theflowerswereblossomingprofuselyandthegrasswasrichlygreen.Thepeopleofthevillagebegantogatherinthesquare,betweenthepostofficeandthebank,aroundteno'clock;insometownsthereweresomanypeoplethatthelotterytooktwodaysandhadtobestartedonJune26th,butinthisvillage,wheretherewereonlyaboutthreehundredpeople,thewholelotterytooklessthantwohours,soitcouldbeginatteno'clockinthemorningandstillbethroughintimetoallowthevillagerstogethomefornoondinner.

Thechildrenassembledfirst,ofcourse.Schoolwasrecentlyoverforthesummer,andthefeelingoflibertysatuneasilyonmostofthem;theytendedtogathertogetherquietlyforawhilebeforetheybrokeintoboisterousplay,andtheirtalkwasstilloftheclassroomandtheteacher,ofbooksandreprimands.BobbyMartinhadalreadystuffedhispocketsfullofstones,andtheotherboyssoonfollowedhisexample,selectingthesmoothestandroundeststones;BobbyandHarryJonesandDickieDelacroix--thevillagerspronouncedthisname"Dellacroy"--eventuallymadeagreatpileofstonesinonecornerofthesquareandguardeditagainsttheraidsoftheotherboys.Thegirlsstoodaside,talkingamongthemselves,lookingovertheirshouldersattheboys,andtheverysmallchildrenrolledinthedustorclungtothehandsoftheirolderbrothersorsisters.

Soonthemenbegantogather,surveyingtheirownchildren,speakingofplantingandrain,tractorsandtaxes.Theystoodtogether,awayfromthepileofstonesinthecorner,andtheirjokeswerequietandtheysmiledratherthanlaughed.Thewomen,wearingfadedhousedressesandsweaters,cameshortlyaftertheirmenfolk.Theygreetedoneanotherandexchangedbitsofgossipastheywenttojointheirhusbands.Soonthewomen,standingbytheirhusbands,begantocalltotheirchildren,andthechildrencamereluctantly,havingtobecalledfourorfivetimes.BobbyMartinduckedunderhismother'sgraspinghandandran,laughing,backtothepileofstones.Hisfatherspokeupsharply,andBobbycamequicklyandtookhisplacebetweenhisfatherandhisoldestbrother.

Thelotterywasconducted--aswerethesquaredances,theteen-ageclub,theHalloweenprogram--byMr.Summers（Joe）,whohadtimeandenergytodevotetocivicactivities.Hewasaround-faced,jovialmanandheranthecoalbusiness,andpeopleweresorryforhim,becausehehadnochildrenandhiswifewasascold.Whenhearrivedinthesquare,carryingtheblackwoodenbox,therewasamurmurofconversationamongthevillagers,andhewavedandcalled,"Littlelatetoday,folks."Thepostmaster,Mr.Graves,followedhim,carryingathree-leggedstool,andthestoolwasputinthecenterofthesquareandMr.Summerssettheblackboxdownonit.Thevillagerskepttheirdistance,leavingaspacebetweenthemselvesandthestool,andwhenMr.Summerssaid,"Someofyoufellowswanttogivemeahand?

"therewasahesitationbeforetwomen,Mr.Martinandhisoldestson,Baxter,cameforwardtoholdtheboxsteadyonthestoolwhileMr.Summersstirredupthepapersinsideit.

Theoriginalparaphernaliaforthelotteryhadbeenlostlongago,andtheblackboxnowrestingonthestoolhadbeenputintouseevenbeforeOldManWarner,theoldestmanintown,wasborn.Mr.Summersspokefrequentlytothevillagersaboutmakinganewbox,butnoonelikedtoupsetevenasmuchtraditionaswasrepresentedbytheblackbox.Therewasastorythatthepresentboxhadbeenmadewithsomepiecesoftheboxthathadprecededit,theonethathadbeenconstructedwhenthefirstpeoplesettleddowntomakeavillagehere.Everyyear,afterthelottery,Mr.Summersbegantalkingagainaboutanewbox,buteveryyearthesubjectwasallowedtofadeoffwithoutanything'sbeingdone.Theblackboxgrewshabbiereachyear;bynowitwasnolongercompletelyblackbutsplinteredbadlyalongonesidetoshowtheoriginalwoodcolor,andinsomeplacesfadedorstained.

Mr.Martinandhisoldestson,Baxter,heldtheblackboxsecurelyonthestooluntilMr.Summershadstirredthepapersthoroughlywithhishand.Becausesomuchoftheritualhadbeenforgottenordiscarded,Mr.Summershadbeensuccessfulinhavingslipsofpapersubstitutedforthechipsofwoodthathadbeenusedforgenerations.Chipsofwood,Mr.Summershadargued,hadbeenallverywellwhenthevillagewastiny,butnowthatthepopulationwasmorethanthreehundredandlikelytokeepongrowing,itwasnecessarytousesomethingthatwouldfitmoreeasilyintotheblackbox.Thenightbeforethelottery,Mr.SummersandMr.Gravesmadeuptheslipsofpaperandputtheminthebox,anditwasthentakentothesafeofMr.Summers'coalcompanyandlockedupuntilMr.Summerswasreadytotakeittothesquarenextmorning.Therestoftheyear,theboxwasputaway,sometimesoneplace,sometimesanother;ithadspentoneyearinMr.Graves'sbarnandanotheryearunderfootinthepostoffice,andsometimesitwassetonashelfintheMartingroceryandleftthere.

TherewasagreatdealoffussingtobedonebeforeMr.Summersdeclaredthelotteryopen.Thereweretheliststomakeup--ofheadsoffamilies,headsofhouseholdsineachfamily,membersofeachhouseholdineachfamily.Therewastheproperswearing-inofMr.Summersbythepostmaster,astheofficialofthelottery;atonetime,somepeopleremembered,therehadbeenarecitalofsomesort,performedbytheofficialofthelottery,aperfunctory,tunelesschantthathadbeenrattledoffdulyeachyear;somepeoplebelievedthattheofficialofthelotteryusedtostandjustsowhenhesaidorsangit,othersbelievedthathewassupposedtowalkamongthepeople,butyearsandyearsagothispartoftheritualhadbeenallowedtolapse.Therehadbeen,also,aritualsalute,whichtheofficialofthelotteryhadhadtouseinaddressingeachpersonwhocameuptodrawfromthebox,butthisalsohadchangedwithtime,untilnowitwasfeltnecessaryonlyfortheofficialtospeaktoeachpersonapproaching.Mr.Summerswasverygoodatallthis;inhiscleanwhiteshirtandbluejeans,withonehandrestingcarelesslyontheblackbox,heseemedveryproperandimportantashetalkedinterminablytoMr.GravesandtheMartins.

JustasMr.Summersfinallyleftofftalkingandturnedtotheassembledvillagers,Mrs.Hutchinsoncamehurriedlyalongthepathtothesquare,hersweaterthrownoverhershoulders,andslidintoplaceinthebackofthecrowd."Cleanforgotwhatdayitwas,"shesaidtoMrs.Delacroix,whostoodnexttoher,andtheybothlaughedsoftly."Thoughtmyoldmanwasoutbackstackingwood,"Mrs.Hutchinsonwenton,"andthenIlookedoutthewindowandthekidsweregone,andthenIremembereditwasthetwenty-seventhandcamea-running."Shedriedherhandsonherapron,andMrs.Delacroixsaid,"You'reintime,though.They'restilltalkingawayupthere."

Mrs.Hutchinson（Tessie）cranedhernecktoseethroughthecrowdandfoundherhusbandandchildrenstandingnearthefront.ShetappedMrs.Delacroixonthearmasafarewellandbegantomakeherwaythroughthecrowd.Thepeopleseparatedgood-humoredlytoletherthrough;twoorthreepeoplesaid,invoicesjustloudenoughtobeheardacrossthecrowd,"HerecomesyourMissusHutchinson（Bill）,"and"Bill,shemadeitafterall."Mrs.Hutchinsonreachedherhusband,andMr.Summers,whohadbeenwaiting,saidcheerfully,"Thoughtweweregoingtohavetogetonwithoutyou,Tessie."Mrs.Hutchinsonsaid,grinning,"Wouldn'thavemeleavem'dishesinthesink,now,wouldyou,Joe?

"andsoftlaughterranthroughthecrowdasthepeoplestirredbackintopositionafterMrs.Hutchinson'sarrival.

"Well,now,"Mr.Summerssaidsoberly,"guesswebettergetstarted,getthisoverwith,so'swecangobacktowork.Anybodyain'there?

"

"Dunbar,"severalpeoplesaid."Dunbar,Dunbar."

Mr.Summersconsultedhislist."ClydeDunbar,"hesaid."That'sright.He'sbrokehisleg,hasn'the?

Who'sdrawingforhim?

"

"Me,Iguess,"awoman（Janey,Mrs.Dunbar,ClydeDunbar’shusband）said,andMr.Summersturnedtolookather."Wifedrawsforherhusband,"Mr.Summerssaid."Don'tyouhaveagrownboytodoitforyou,Janey?

"AlthoughMr.Summersandeveryoneelseinthevillageknewtheanswerperfectlywell,itwasthebusinessoftheofficialofthelotterytoasksuchquestionsformally.Mr.SummerswaitedwithanexpressionofpoliteinterestwhileMrs.Dunbaranswered.

"Horace's（ClydeDunbar’sson）notbutsixteenvet,"Mrs.Dunbarsaidregretfully."GuessIgottafillinfortheoldmanthisyear."

"Right,"Mr.Summerssaid.Hemadeanoteonthelisthewasholding.Thenheasked,"Watsonboydrawingthisyear?

"

Atallboy（Jack）inthecrowdraisedhishand."Here,"hesaid."Imdrawingform’motherandme."Heblinkedhiseyesnervouslyandduckedhisheadasseveralvoicesinthecrowdsaidthingslike"Goodfellow,Jack."and"Gladtoseeyourmother'sgotamantodoit."

"Well,"Mr.Summerssaid,"guessthat'severyone.OldManWarnermakeit?

"

"Here,"avoicesaid,andMr.Summersnodded.

AsuddenhushfellonthecrowdasMr.Summersclearedhisthroatandlookedatthelist."Allready?

"hecalled."Now,I'llreadthenames--headsoffamiliesfirst--andthemencomeupandtakeapaperoutofthebox.Keepthepaperfoldedinyourhandwithoutlookingatituntileveryonehashadaturn.Everythingclear?

"

Thepeoplehaddoneitsomanytimesthattheyonlyhalflistenedtothedirections;mostofthemwerequiet,wettingtheirlips,notlookingaround.