The Lottery
Encyclopedia
"The Lottery" is a short story
by Shirley Jackson
, first published in the June 26, 1948, issue of The New Yorker
. Written the same month it was published, it is ranked today as "one of the most famous short stories in the history of American literature".
Response to the story was negative, surprising Jackson and The New Yorker. Readers canceled subscriptions and sent hate mail throughout the summer. The story was banned in the Union of South Africa
. Since then, it has been accepted as a classic American short story, subject to critical interpretations and media adaptations, and it has been taught in middle schools and high schools for decades.
(July 22, 1948):
Jackson lived in North Bennington, Vermont
, and her comment reveals that she had Bennington in mind when she wrote "The Lottery". In a 1960 lecture (printed in her 1968 collection, Come Along with Me), Jackson recalled the hate mail she received in 1948:
The New Yorker
kept no records of the phone calls, but letters addressed to Jackson were forwarded to her. That summer she regularly took home 10 to 12 forwarded letters each day. She also received weekly packages from The New Yorker containing letters and questions addressed to the magazine or editor Harold Ross
, plus carbons of the magazine's responses mailed to letter writers.
Fritz Oehlshlaeger, in "The Stoning of Mistress Hutchinson Meaning of Context in 'The Lottery'" (Essays in Literature, 1988), wrote:
's radio adaptation was broadcast March 14, 1951, as an episode of the anthology series, NBC Presents: Short Story
. Ellen M. Violett wrote the first television adaptation, seen on Albert McCleery
's Cameo Theatre
(1950–55).
A final storyline in the soap opera
, Dark Shadows
(ABC-TV 1966–71), was based on "The Lottery". Because of an ancestor's curse, in every generation of the Collins family, one member is chosen by lottery to spend a night in a haunted room, resulting in death or insanity. If the lottery is not held, all family members die. At the conclusion of the TV series, lovers Bramwell Collins (Jonathan Frid) and Catherine Collins (Lara Parker) spend the night in the room and break the curse.
", is based on this short story. "Britney's New Look" is Episode 2 of Season 12.
's 'Short Story Showcase' series, was ranked by the Academic Film Archive "as one of the two bestselling educational films ever". It has an accompanying ten-minute commentary film, Discussion of "The Lottery" by University of Southern California
English professor Dr. James Durbin. Featuring the film debut of Ed Begley, Jr.
, Yust's adaptation has an atmosphere of naturalism and small town authenticity with its shots of pick-up trucks
and townspeople in Fellows, California
.
lottery as the backdrop. Director Daniel Sackheim
filmed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
, with a cast that included Keri Russell
, Dan Cortese
, Veronica Cartwright
, Sean Murray, Jeff Corey
, Salome Jens
and M. Emmet Walsh
. It was nominated for a 1997 Saturn Award
for Best Single Genre Television Presentation.
, for Aura Pictures Limited. Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick
and his parents portray the Hutchinson family.
Audio
Video
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Shirley Jackson
Shirley Jackson
Shirley Jackson was an American author. A popular writer in her time, her work has received increasing attention from literary critics in recent years...
, first published in the June 26, 1948, issue of The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. Written the same month it was published, it is ranked today as "one of the most famous short stories in the history of American literature".
Response to the story was negative, surprising Jackson and The New Yorker. Readers canceled subscriptions and sent hate mail throughout the summer. The story was banned in the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
. Since then, it has been accepted as a classic American short story, subject to critical interpretations and media adaptations, and it has been taught in middle schools and high schools for decades.
Characters and story
Details of contemporary small town American life are contrasted with an annual ritual known as "the lottery." In a small village of about 300 residents, the locals are in a strange and nervous mood on June 27. Children gather stones as the adult townsfolk assemble for their annual event, that in the local tradition has been practiced to ensure a good harvest. In the first round of the lottery, the head of each family draws a small slip of paper; Bill Hutchinson gets the one slip with a black spot, meaning that his family has been chosen. In the next round, each Hutchinson family member draws a slip, and Bill's wife Tessie—who had arrived late—gets the marked slip. In keeping with tradition, which has been abandoned in at least some other neighboring communities, each villager obtains a stone and begins to surround Tessie. The story ends as Tessie is stoned while bemoaning the unfairness of the situation.Reaction
Many readers demanded an explanation of the situation described in the story, and a month after the initial publication, Shirley Jackson responded in the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
(July 22, 1948):
Jackson lived in North Bennington, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, and her comment reveals that she had Bennington in mind when she wrote "The Lottery". In a 1960 lecture (printed in her 1968 collection, Come Along with Me), Jackson recalled the hate mail she received in 1948:
The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
kept no records of the phone calls, but letters addressed to Jackson were forwarded to her. That summer she regularly took home 10 to 12 forwarded letters each day. She also received weekly packages from The New Yorker containing letters and questions addressed to the magazine or editor Harold Ross
Harold Ross
Harold Wallace Ross was an American journalist and founder of The New Yorker magazine, which he edited from the magazine's inception in 1925 to his death....
, plus carbons of the magazine's responses mailed to letter writers.
Critical interpretations
Helen E. Nebeker's essay, "'The Lottery': Symbolic Tour de Force", in American Literature (March, 1974), claims that every major name in the story has a special significance.Fritz Oehlshlaeger, in "The Stoning of Mistress Hutchinson Meaning of Context in 'The Lottery'" (Essays in Literature, 1988), wrote:
Dramatizations
In addition to numerous reprints in magazines, anthologies and textbooks, "The Lottery" has been adapted for radio, live television, a 1953 ballet, films in 1969 and 1997, a TV movie, an opera, and a one-act play. NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's radio adaptation was broadcast March 14, 1951, as an episode of the anthology series, NBC Presents: Short Story
NBC Presents: Short Story
NBC Presents: Short Story was a half-hour program offering dramatizations of contemporary American short stories by famed writers such as William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Shirley Jackson....
. Ellen M. Violett wrote the first television adaptation, seen on Albert McCleery
Albert McCleery
Albert McCleery was a pioneering television producer during the 1950s.He created his innovative Cameo Theatre for television in 1950. A weekly live production, it continued until 1955. On this half-hour series, McCleery offered dramas seen against pure black backgrounds instead of walls of a set...
's Cameo Theatre
Cameo Theatre
Cameo Theatre was an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from 1950 to 1955.-Television in the round:...
(1950–55).
A final storyline in the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
(ABC-TV 1966–71), was based on "The Lottery". Because of an ancestor's curse, in every generation of the Collins family, one member is chosen by lottery to spend a night in a haunted room, resulting in death or insanity. If the lottery is not held, all family members die. At the conclusion of the TV series, lovers Bramwell Collins (Jonathan Frid) and Catherine Collins (Lara Parker) spend the night in the room and break the curse.
South Park
The episode, "Britney's New LookBritney's New Look
"Britney's New Look" is the second episode of the twelfth season of the animated series South Park, and the 169th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 19, 2008...
", is based on this short story. "Britney's New Look" is Episode 2 of Season 12.
1969 film
Larry Yust's short film, The Lottery (1969), produced as part of Encyclopædia BritannicaEncyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
's 'Short Story Showcase' series, was ranked by the Academic Film Archive "as one of the two bestselling educational films ever". It has an accompanying ten-minute commentary film, Discussion of "The Lottery" by University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
English professor Dr. James Durbin. Featuring the film debut of Ed Begley, Jr.
Ed Begley, Jr.
Edward James "Ed" Begley, Jr. is an American actor and environmentalist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich, on the television series St...
, Yust's adaptation has an atmosphere of naturalism and small town authenticity with its shots of pick-up trucks
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
and townspeople in Fellows, California
Fellows, California
Fellows is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Fellows is located west-northwest of Taft, at an elevation of 1316 feet . The population was 106 at the 2010 census, down from 153 at the 2000 census...
.
1996 TV film
Anthony Spinner adapted the story into a feature-length TV film, The Lottery, which premiered September 29, 1996, on NBC. As expanded by Spinner, the annual lottery is held for religious reasons, and the thriller storyline highlights a love story with the crazed townsfolk and the sadisticSadistic personality disorder
Sadistic personality disorder is a diagnosis which appeared only in an appendix of the revised third edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . The current version of the DSM does not include it, so it is no longer considered a valid...
lottery as the backdrop. Director Daniel Sackheim
Daniel Sackheim
Daniel Sackheim is an American TV and film director. He has directed several episodes of the TV show The X-Files, 3 episodes of Harsh Realm, House, and Life, the last two of which he also served on as an executive producer.-External links:...
filmed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
, with a cast that included Keri Russell
Keri Russell
Keri Lynn Russell is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe...
, Dan Cortese
Dan Cortese
Daniel James "Dan" Cortese ; born September 14, 1967) is an American actor, director and spokesperson. He is known for his roles as Perry Rollins on Veronica's Closet and as Vic Meladeo on What I Like About You.-Early life:...
, Veronica Cartwright
Veronica Cartwright
Veronica A. Cartwright is an English-born American actress who has worked mainly in American film and television. She is best known for her role of Lambert in Alien, for which she won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress....
, Sean Murray, Jeff Corey
Jeff Corey
Jeff Corey was an American stage and screen actor and director who became a well-respected acting teacher after being blacklisted in the 1950s.-Biography:...
, Salome Jens
Salome Jens
Salome Jens is an American stage, film and television actress. She is perhaps best-known for portraying the Female Changeling on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Life and career:...
and M. Emmet Walsh
M. Emmet Walsh
Michael Emmet Walsh is an American actor who has appeared in over 100 film and television productions.-Life and career:Walsh was born in Ogdensburg, New York, the son of Agnes Kathrine and Harry Maurice Walsh, Sr., a customs agent...
. It was nominated for a 1997 Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
for Best Single Genre Television Presentation.
2007 film
Augustin Kennady directed an 11-minute short film, The Lottery (2007), on location in Pen Argyl, PennsylvaniaPen Argyl, Pennsylvania
Pen Argyl is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, north of Easton, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt.-Population:In 1900, 2,784 people lived in Pen Argyl, and in 1910, 3,967 people lived here...
, for Aura Pictures Limited. Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick is an American child actor. His first film role was as Damien Thornin the 2006 remake of the thriller The Omen.-Personal life:...
and his parents portray the Hutchinson family.
External links
- Detailed plot summary of "The Lottery"
- Salon: Jonathan Lethem: "Monstrous Acts and Little Murders"
- The Lottery study guide and teaching guide – analysis, themes, quotes, multimedia for students and teachers
- Full text of "The Lottery"
Audio
- http://www.newyorker.com/online/2008/11/17/081117on_audio_homesThe New Yorker podcast: A. M. HomesA. M. HomesAmy M. Homes is an American writer. She is best-known for her controversial novels and unusual stories, most notably The End of Alice , a novel about a convicted child molester and murderer...
discusses and reads "The Lottery"] - NBC Short Story: "The Lottery" (March 14, 1951)
- "The Lottery" read by Maureen Stapleton
- 1988 interview with Judy Oppenheimer
Video