Blind Obedience Theme in Shirley Jackson s The Lottery
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In her chilling story "The Lottery", Shirley Jackson uses disturbing images to show the pointlessness and foolishness of blind obedience. Often, practices or ideas are accepted simply because they are favored by the majority or have been a part of society for so long that they have become tradition and go unquestioned. The story stresses the importance of questioning what is happening around you as opposed to conforming mindlessly. Blindness contributes to the murder of Tessie Hutchinson. The community is blinded by tradition. No one thinks about why they do this, only that it has always been done. Here the entire town participates in a murder which tradition allows and which is not condemned as a crime. Although the participants in the stoning know that it is wrong and outdated, they feel they are making a sacrifice for the good of the community. Many of them fear stopping the tradition because they believe that without the annual sacrifice, their crops will not continue to grow. "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon...