Shirley Jackson"s "The Lottery" is a frightening story to read. The setting seems very familiar to the average reader: Hometown America on a clear Summer day. However, the traditions followed by this small town contrast greatly with the setting in which they are taking place. The Lottery in question in this story is not one to win money or another prize, but rather it is a system by which a human sacrifice is chosen in each village. The purpose of the sacrifice, unlike those performed in Ancient cultures, is not clear in the story, and in fact it is not clear to the characters either. The Lottery is a tradition left over from many years ago, and although the original purpose has been forgotten, the ritual remains an annual event. Jackson uses the setting, symbols, and group mindset to present The Lottery as an allegory for our own society.

             "The Lottery" begins with a description of the warm summer day, beautiful flowers, and an introduction to the square. The town is described in small town like speech, where everything is described in relationship to something else. The square is between the post office and the bank. The children are out of school for the summer, and they are playing. The men of the town are talking about farming, so the reader knows this is a rural community. The Lottery is to be performed by the same man who runs the square dances, the teen club, and the Halloween program; this is a man for whom everyone also feels pity. The conductor of the Lottery dresses in a white shirt and jeans, and one member of the crowd is late because she had to finish washing the dishes, all of which paint a picture of a familiar kind of town. However, interspersed with all of these All-American images, foreshadowing of the true nature of The Lottery exists from the beginning. For example one child "had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones.