Literary Analysis: The Duality of Humanity in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is a short story set in an idyllic village that slowly reveals the dark aspects of human nature of the people residing in it. Initially, the atmosphere within the gathering was serene and easily suited to a normal village meeting. However, as time passes, the dark nature of the gathering motive is revealed. Long after the lottery has lost its meaning, the community continues to adhere to the traditions and executes one of its citizens every year. This time, Tessie Hutchinson, a friend to many people gathered for the lottery, is stoned to death due to the village's adherence to the meaningless tradition. As such, the lottery highlights the duality of humanity by uncovering the social conformity, tradition, and hidden brutality perpetuated by seemingly ordinary people annually.

The opening of "The Lottery" depicts a seemingly idyllic village where its people gather to partake in their annual tradition, but the ending greatly contrasts the initial perception of the meeting. Jackson states, "the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner." (43). The casualness with which finishing the meeting in time for noon dinner is described gives a false sense of security to the reader. However, as the true nature of the tradition is revealed, the perceived normalcy crumbles. Despite the revelation that the villagers had forgotten the rituals and even lost the black box, they had not forgotten how to use the stones. The villagers blindly adhered to the ritual by accepting the violence it brought with it. This exposes the tradition as a cover for village people to exercise the cruelty that is central to this annual custom, highlighting the duality of the participants.

In "The Lottery," social conformity is revealed to shape the actions of the villagers despite their individual consciences and is the driver for their participation in barbaric rituals. The individual behavior of the villagers is shaped by societal pressure out of fear of contradicting the social norm. For example, some characters express their reservations about the lottery but still participate in it. Mr. Adams, while speaking to Old Warner, states that "they do say…that over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery." (Jackson 47). Old Warner dismisses him, calling the idea stupid and insisting, "There's always been a lottery" (Jackson 47), which demonstrates the village's resistance to change. Social conformity translates to social expectation for every villager to participate. This is demonstrated when Mr. Sumers asks if anyone is not present for the tradition, and several people respond, "Dunbar, Dunbar" (Jackson 46). Social conformity and consequent societal expectations force people to prioritize upholding tradition over basic human decency, which highlights the duality of human nature.   

Lastly, "The Lottery" demonstrates the duality of human nature by illustrating ordinary people's participation in a violent act without question. The tradition entails picking one person to be stoned at the end of the ceremony. In this case, Tessie Hutchinson, who is collectively stoned by the village, exemplifies this duality. Firstly, she is a member of the village and a friend to many; however, they do not hesitate to make her the sacrificial lamb once she is picked. Jackson states, "Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her" (50). This illustrates that by following tradition, the village people did not hesitate to unleash violence on one of their own. Overall, it showcases the dangers of a collective mindset whereby ordinary, compassionate, and kind people can be swayed to commit heinous acts.  

To sum up, the lottery is a tradition that takes place in an idyllic village and highlights the duality of human nature. This is demonstrated through the casualness with which the villagers perceive the ritual gathering and its end result, which is the stoning of one of the villagers. Secondly, despite their individual conscience, social conformity forces the villagers to participate in violent acts. Lastly, the ordinary village people participate in the violent custom without question. Overall, the brutal nature of the tradition and the participation of the villagers highlight the duality of human nature by illustrating individuals who are both capable of compassion and also unprecedented cruelty.