“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
700 Oak Street
Brockton, MA 2301
April 25th.2020
New York Times, Editor
620 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
Dear Sir/Madam:
I recently read the article “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson in your magazine, and I would like to convey my thought with its message. Not only did Shirley Jackson reference the cruelty of humans, but she also demonstrated that human cruelty is not set apart from animals. Jackson argues that humans are capable of immense cruelty as long as they think their actions will not have consequences that affect them directly. Reading this article has offered me insight into the cruelty of human nature.
This article should not have been published in the first place. The material is too harsh and demonstrates extreme human cruelty. The article state that in an unknown village, no one is against the lottery before a name is drawn. The woman by the name Tessie Hutchinson finally complains when she is singled out, saying “it is not fair, it is not right”, but this protest is raised too late. The other individuals are relieved not to have been chosen, and they speak from a state of safety, reminding Tessie that “all of us took the same chance”. Although the villagers have discarded certain features of the lottery over time, “they did not forget to use stones” meaning that humans cannot forget the vital, murderous act. Davy, Tessie’s baby, is given stones to throw at his mother and other kids put the rocks together for the ritual. She demonstrates that violence in children is proof that it is an inherent element of human nature. The lottery shows the cruelty of humans, which is not right because nowhere in the article indicates that the ritual ended. I cannot encourage you to publish such an item again as it affects individuals emotionally.
Sincerely,
Joaquin Juarez,