The Lottery

Symbolic image representing Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

A Marxist Reading of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”

Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery may look like a simple story about a small town tradition, where villagers draw slips from an old black box, but as the story unfolds, it reveals a dark reality about power, class, and control. The story is not just about tradition, it also shows how people in powerless positions often support systems that harm them...

The black box, though old and falling apart, becomes a symbol of authority. Those who stay close to it hold the most control, even if the people do not realize it. The villagers blindly follow a system that harms them, protecting the very tradition that could kill them next...

Mr. Summers serves as a clear example of how those in positions of economic privilege often assume power in social systems... By controlling the medium of the draw, Mr. Summers subtly reinforces his authority and security, showing how those in powerful economic positions can also manipulate the core mechanisms of tradition to serve their own interests.

Public resistance within the story reveals how even small acts of dissent are shut down by the community itself... This moment shows how the system protects the powerful, not just through rules, but by turning people against each other. The villagers don’t consider that Tessie might be right. Instead, they defend the ritual and the man in charge without question.

Tradition is weaponized to maintain social control, often by those most affected by it. Old Man Warner’s defense of the lottery proves how deeply tradition is tied to superstition and productivity myths... The lottery becomes a tool for upholding the village’s work ethic by suggesting that obedience and collective labor are essential for survival.

Distraction is another subtle but powerful tool used to maintain control over the masses... villagers are kept busy with minor concerns like replacing the box, while they ignore the violence and injustice of the lottery itself. This tactic keeps people focused on unimportant details, while the real problem of stoning an innocent neighbor to death in the village square goes untouched.

In conclusion, Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery uses a simple village tradition to expose how power, class, and blind obedience can sustain dangerous systems. Through a Marxist lens, we see that those in control, like Mr. Summers, maintain their position not just through wealth or authority, but by shaping rules, silencing dissent, and distracting the masses. This story reminds us that real danger lies not just in violence, but in the silence and passivity of people.

Works Cited