The Lottery (1948) by Shirley Jackson PDF

THE LOTTERY menfolk. They greeted one another and by Shirley Jackson exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join (1948) their husbands. Soon the women, standing by...

THE LOTTERY menfolk. They greeted one another and by Shirley Jackson exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join (1948) their husbands. Soon the women, standing by their husbands, began to call to their children, The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, and the children came reluctantly, having to be with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the called four or five times. Bobby Martin ducked flowers were blossoming profusely and the under his mother's grasping hand and ran, grass was richly green. The people of the village laughing, back to the pile of stones. His father began to gather in the square, between the post spoke up sharply, and Bobby came quickly and office and the bank, around ten o'clock; in some took his place between his father and his oldest towns there were so many people that the lottery brother. took two days and had to be started on June 27th. But in this village, where there were only The lottery was conducted--as were the square about three hundred people, the whole lottery dances, the teen club, the Halloween program-- took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten by Mr. Summers who had time and energy to o'clock in the morning and still be through in devote to civic activities. He was a round-faced, time to allow the villagers to get home for noon jovial man and he ran the coal business, and dinner. people were sorry for him because he had no children and his wife was a scold. When he The children assembled first, of course. School arrived in the square, carrying the black wooden was recently over for the summer, and the box, there was a murmur of conversation among feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; the villagers, and he waved and called, "Little they tended to gather together quietly for a late today, folks." The postmaster, Mr. Graves, while before they broke into boisterous play and followed him, carrying a three- legged stool, their talk was still of the classroom and the and the stool was put in the center of the square teacher, of books and reprimands. Bobby Martin and Mr. Summers set the black box down on it. had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space and the other boys soon followed his example, between themselves and the stool, and when Mr. selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Summers said, "Some of you fellows want to Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix-- give me a hand?" there was a hesitation before the villagers pronounced this name "Dellacroy"- two men. Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter -eventually made a great pile of stones in one came forward to hold the box steady on the corner of the square and guarded it against the stool while Mr. Summers stirred up the papers raids of the other boys. The girls stood aside, inside it. talking among themselves, looking over their shoulders at the boys, and the very small The original paraphernalia for the lottery had children rolled in the dust or clung to the hands been lost long ago, and the black box now of their older brothers or sisters. resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, Soon the men began to gather, surveying their was born. Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the own children, speaking of planting and rain, villagers about making a new box, but no one tractors and taxes. They stood together, away liked to upset even as much tradition as was from the pile of stones in the corner, and their represented by the black box. There was a story jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than that the present box had been made with some laughed. The women, wearing faded house pieces of the box that had preceded it, the one dresses and sweaters, came shortly after their that had been constructed when the first people settled down to make a village here. Every year, off duly each year; some people believed that after the lottery, Mr. Summers began talking the official of the lottery used to stand just so again about a new box, but every year the when he said or sang it, others believed that he subject was allowed to fade off without was supposed to walk among the people, but anything's being done. The black box grew years and years ago this part of the ritual had shabbier each year: by now it was no longer been allowed to lapse. There had been, also, a completely black but splintered badly along one ritual salute, which the official of the lottery had side to show the original wood color, and in had to use in addressing each person who came some places faded or stained. up to draw from the box, but this also had changed with time, until now it was felt Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, held the necessary only for the official to speak to each black box securely on the stool until Mr. person approaching. Mr. Summers was very Summers had stirred the papers thoroughly with good at all this; in his clean white shirt and blue his hand. Because so much of the ritual had jeans with one hand resting carelessly on the been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers had black box he seemed very proper and important been successful in having slips of paper as he talked interminably to Mr. Graves and the substituted for the chips of wood that had been Martins. used for generations. Chips of wood, Mr. Summers had argued had been all very well Just as Mr. Summers finally left off talking and when the village was tiny, but now that the turned to the assembled villagers, Mrs. population was more than three hundred and Hutchinson came hurriedly along the path to the likely to keep on growing, it was necessary to square, her sweater thrown over her shoulders, use something that would fit more easily into and slid into place in the back of the crowd. the black box. The night before the lottery, Mr. "Clean forgot what day it was," she said to Mrs. Summers and Mr. Graves made up the slips of Delacroix, who stood next to her, and they both paper and put them in the box, and it was then laughed softly. "Thought my old man was out taken to the safe of Mr. Summers' coal company back stacking wood," Mrs. Hutchinson went on, and locked up until Mr. Summers was ready to "and then I looked out the window and the kids take it to the square next morning. The rest of was gone, and then I remembered it was the the year, the box was put way, sometimes one twenty-seventh and came a-running." She dried place, sometimes another; it had spent one year her hands on her apron, and Mrs. Delacroix in Mr. Graves's barn and another year underfoot said, "You're in time, though. They're still in the post office and sometimes it was set on a talking away up there." shelf in the Martin grocery and left there. Mrs. Hutchinson craned her neck to see through There was a great deal of fussing to be done the crowd and found her husband and children before Mr. Summers declared the lottery open. standing near the front. She tapped Mrs. There were the lists to make up--of heads of Delacroix on the arm as a farewell and began to families, heads of households in each family, make her way through the crowd. The people members of each household in each family. separated good-humoredly to let her through: There was the proper swearing-in of Mr. two or three people said in voices just loud Summers by the postmaster, as the official of enough to be heard across the crowd, "Here the lottery; at one time, some people comes your, Missus, Hutchinson," and "Bill, she remembered, there had been a recital of some made it after all." Mrs. Hutchinson reached her sort, performed by the official of the lottery, a husband, and Mr. Summers, who had been perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled waiting, said cheerfully, "Thought we were going to have to get on without you, Tessie." Mrs. Hutchinson said grinning, "Wouldn't have "Here," a voice said and Mr. Summers nodded. me leave m'dishes in the sink, now, would you. Joe?" and soft laughter ran through the crowd as A sudden hush fell on the crowd as Mr. the people stirred back into position after Mrs. Summers cleared his throat and looked at the Hutchinson's arrival. list. "All ready?" he called. "Now, I'll read the names--heads of families first--and the men "Well, now." Mr. Summers said soberly, "guess come up and take a paper out of the box. Keep we better get started, get this over with, so's we the paper folded in your hand without looking at can go back to work. Anybody ain't here?" it until everyone has had a turn. Everything clear?" "Dunbar." several people said. "Dunbar. Dunbar." The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions: most of them Mr. Summers consulted his list. "Clyde were quiet, wetting their lips not looking Dunbar." he said. "That's right. He's broke his around. Then Mr. Summers raised one hand leg, hasn't he? Who's drawing for him?" high and said, "Adams." A man disengaged himself from the crowd and came forward. "Hi. "Me. I guess," a woman said and Mr. Summers Steve." Mr. Summers said and Mr. Adams said. turned to look at her. "Wife draws for her "Hi. Joe." They grinned at one another husband." Mr. Summers said. "Don't you have a humorlessly and nervously. Then Mr. Adams grown boy to do it for you, Janey?" Although reached into the black box and took out a folded Mr. Summers and everyone else in the village paper. He held it firmly by one corner as he knew the answer perfectly well, it was the turned and went hastily back to his place in the business of the official of the lottery to ask such crowd where he stood a little apart from his questions formally. Mr. Summers waited with family not looking down at his hand. an expression of polite interest while Mrs. Dunbar answered. "Allen." Mr. Summers said. "Anderson.... Bentham." "Horace's not but sixteen vet." Mrs. Dunbar said regretfully. "Guess I gotta fill in for the old man "Seems like there's no time at all between this year." lotteries any more." Mrs. Delacroix said to Mrs. Graves in the back row. "Right," Mr. Summers said. He made a note on the list he was holding. Then he asked, "Watson "Seems like we got through with the last one boy drawing this year?" only last week." A tall boy in the crowd raised his hand. "Here," "Time sure goes fast -- Mrs. Graves said. he said. "I m drawing for my mother and me." He blinked his eyes nervously and ducked his "Clark.... Delacroix" head as several voices in the crowd said things like "Good fellow, lad." and "Glad to see your "There goes my old man." Mrs. Delacroix said. mother's got a man to do it." She held her breath while her husband went forward. "Well," Mr. Summers said, "guess that's everyone. Old Man Warner make it?" "Dunbar," Mr. Summers said, and Mrs. Dunbar "Martin." And Bobby Martin watched his father went steadily to the box while one of the women go forward. "Overdyke.... Percy." said. "Go on, Janey," and another said, "There she goes." "I wish they'd hurry," Mrs. Dunbar said to her older son. "I wish they'd hurry." "We're next." Mrs. Graves said. She watched while Mr. Graves came around from the side of "They're almost through," her son said. the box, greeted Mr. Summers gravely and selected a slip of paper from the box. By now, "You get ready to run tell Dad," Mrs. Dunbar all through the crowd there were men holding said. the small folded papers in their large hand turning them over and over nervously Mrs. Mr. Summers called his own name and then Dunbar and her two sons stood together, Mrs. stepped forward precisely and selected a slip Dunbar holding the slip of paper. from the box. Then he called, "Warner." "Harburt.... Hutchinson." "Seventy-seventh year I been in the lottery," Old Man Warner said as he went through the crowd. "Get up there, Bill," Mrs. Hutchinson said and "Seventy-seventh time." the people near her laughed. "Watson" The tall boy came awkwardly through "Jones." the crowd. Someone said, "Don't be nervous, Jack," and Mr. Summers said, "Take your time, "They do say," Mr. Adams said to Old Man son." Warner, who stood next to him, "that over in the north village they're talking of giving up the "Zanini." lottery." After that, there was a long pause, a breathless Old Man Warner snorted. "Pack of crazy fools," pause, until Mr. Summers holding his slip of he said. "Listening to the young folks, nothing's paper in the air, said, "All right, fellows." For a good enough for them. Next thing you know, minute, no one moved, and then all the slips of they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, paper were opened. Suddenly, all the women nobody work any more, live that way for a began to speak at once, saving. "Who is it?" while. Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in "Who's got it?" "Is it the Dunbars?" "Is it the June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, Watsons?" Then the voices began to say, "It's we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. Hutchinson. It's Bill," "Bill Hutchinson's got it." There's always been a lottery," he added petulantly. "Bad enough to see young Joe "Go tell your father," Mrs. Dunbar said to her Summers up there joking with everybody." older son. "Some places have already quit lotteries." Mrs. People began to look around to see the Adams said. Hutchinsons. Bill Hutchinson was standing quiet, staring down at the paper in his hand. "Nothing but trouble in that," Old Man Warner Suddenly, Tessie Hutchinson shouted to Mr. said stoutly. "Pack of young fools." Summers. "You didn't give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair!"  Mr. Graves nodded and held up the slips of "Be a good sport, Tessie." Mrs. Delacroix paper. "Put them in the box, then," Mr. called, and Mrs. Graves said, "All of us took the Summers directed. "Take Bill's and put it in." same chance." "I think we ought to start over," Mrs. "Shut up, Tessie," Bill Hutchinson said. Hutchinson said, as quietly as she could. "I tell you it wasn't fair. You didn't give him time "Well, everyone," Mr. Summers said, "that was enough to choose. Everybody saw that." done pretty fast, and now we've got to be hurrying a little more to get done in time." He Mr. Graves had selected the five slips and put consulted his next list. "Bill," he said, "you draw them in the box and he dropped all the papers for the Hutchinson family. You got any other but those onto the ground where the breeze households in the Hutchinsons?" caught them and lifted them off. "There's Don and Eva," Mrs. Hutchinson yelled. "Listen, everybody," Mrs. Hutchinson was "Make them take their chance!" saying to the people around her. "Daughters draw with their husbands' families, "Ready, Bill?" Mr. Summers asked and Bill Tessie," Mr. Summers said gently. "You know Hutchinson, with one quick glance around at his that as well as anyone else." wife and children, nodded. "It wasn't fair," Tessie said. "Remember," Mr. Summers said, "take the slips and keep them folded until each person has "I guess not, Joe." Bill Hutchinson said taken one. Harry, you help little Dave." Mr. regretfully. "My daughter draws with her Graves took the hand of the little boy, who came husband's family; that's only fair. And I've got willingly with him up to the box. "Take a paper no other family except the kids." out of the box, Davy." Mr. Summers said. Davy put his hand into the box and laughed. "Take "Then, as far as drawing for families is just one paper." Mr. Summers said. "Harry, you concerned, it's you," Mr. Summers said in hold it for him." Mr. Graves took the child's explanation, "and as far as drawing for hand and removed the folded paper from the households is concerned, that's you, too. Right?" tight fist and held it while little Dave stood next to him and looked up at him wonderingly. "Right," Bill Hutchinson said. "Nancy next," Mr. Summers said. Nancy was "How many kids, Bill?" Mr. Summers asked twelve, and her school friends breathed heavily formally. as she went forward switching her skirt, and took a slip daintily from the box "Bill, Jr.," Mr. "Three," Bill Hutchinson said. Summers said, and Billy, his face red and his feet overlarge, near knocked the box over as he "There's Bill Jr., and Nancy, and little Dave. got a paper out. "Tessie," Mr. Summers said. And Tessie and me." She hesitated for a minute, looking around defiantly and then set her lips and went up to the "All right, then," Mr. Summers said. "Harry, box. She snatched a paper out and held it behind you got their tickets back?" her. "Bill," Mr. Summers said, and Bill Hutchinson paper that had come out of the box Delacroix reached into the box and felt around, bringing selected a stone so large she had to pick it up his hand out at last with the slip of paper in it. with both hands and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. "Come on," she said. "Hurry up." The crowd was quiet. A girl whispered, "I hope it's not Nancy," and the sound of the whisper Mr. Dunbar had small stones in both hands, and reached the edges of the crowd. she said gasping for breath. "I can't run at all. You'll have to go ahead and I'll catch up with "It's not the way it used to be." Old Man Warner you." said clearly. "People ain't the way they used to be." The children had stones already. And someone gave little Davy Hutchinson few pebbles. "All right," Mr. Summers said. "Open the papers. Harry, you open little Dave's." Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out Mr. Graves opened the slip of paper and there desperately as the villagers moved in on her. "It was a general sigh through the crowd as he held isn't fair," she said. A stone hit her on the side of it up and everyone could see that it was blank. the head. Old Man Warner was saying, "Come Nancy and Bill Jr. opened theirs at the same on, come on, everyone." Steve Adams was in time and both beamed and laughed, turning the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. around to the crowd and holding their slips of Graves beside him. paper above their heads. "It isn't fair, it isn't right," Mrs. Hutchinson "Tessie," Mr. Summers said. There was a pause, screamed, and then they were upon her. and then Mr. Summers looked at Bill Hutchinson, and Bill unfolded his paper and showed it. It was blank. "It's Tessie," Mr. Summers said, and his voice was hushed. "Show us her paper. Bill." Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paper out of her hand. It had a black spot on it, the black spot Mr. Summers had made the night before with the heavy pencil in the coal company office. Bill Hutchinson held it up and there was a stir in the crowd. "All right, folks." Mr. Summers said. "Let's finish quickly." Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones. The pile of stones the boys had made earlier was ready; there were stones on the ground with the blowing scraps of