The events of “The Lottery” border on the absurd. However, the story requires interpretation on multiple levels. Shirley Jackson has skillfully used elements of several ancient rituals to create a tale that touches on the character of the ritual itself and the devastating effects of mass psychology. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "The Lottery" - Summary Essay At the heart of the story is one of humanity's oldest concepts: the notion of the scapegoat. Ancient civilizations often conducted a ceremony in which the ills of an entire society were symbolically transferred to a member of the group, human or animal, and that member was killed or banished. This death or exile suggested that the evils of the past had been eliminated, allowing for a better future for the group. The Jewish people in Old Testament times conducted the ritual by designating a goat as the recipient of all sin and evil, then throwing the goat into the wilderness; therefore, in Western literature, the term “scapegoat” has been widely adopted to designate this sacrificial victim. The candid tone of the story helps show how any tradition can be dangerous and can hurt a person in many different ways. In the story, Jackson's tradition can be harmful to more people. The tradition that this small town has carried on for over 70 years was the annual stoning every June 27th. This tradition of stoning damaged the mental health of the prey by killing them and the predators knowing that they had to kill a friend or neighbor, but they still continued this crazy tradition, some were even proud to have been part of this tradition which they called lottery. The lottery victim that year was Tessie Hutchinson, once she found out it was her she started going crazy and kept screaming that it wasn't fair. This shows how this town tradition was harming her mental health causing her to lose her health moments before her death after “a stone hit her on the side of her head.” Tessie Hutchinson is the scapegoat in her town in the year that “The Lottery” takes place; the implication in the story is that the lottery is an annual event. In this town, the scapegoat is used to ward off the evils of society so that crops can thrive. Two ancient rituals are thus united: the idea of ​​driving away evils through a sacrificial victim and the idea of ​​somehow appeasing the higher powers to ensure fertility for the land. Also fertility rituals they usually involve some sort of sacrifice.Keep in mind: This is just one example.Get a custom paper from our expert writers now.The people of the city are involved in the ritual to such an extent that they have given up any sense of logic Mass psychology governs their actions. Although they appear to be healthy, sensible individuals, when the time comes for the lottery, they abandon their rational nature and revert to herd instincts. This psychological phenomenon is characteristic of humans throughout history. Although Jackson represents it in its extreme form in this story, the idea that men and women in groups are willing to give up personal responsibility and act with great cruelty towards others is highlighted in actions such as lynchings, race riots, and similar incidents. People's willingness to act irrationally as members of the herd shows aspects that, while unpleasant, are still an integral part of their nature that they must recognize if they are to keep them under control. Works Cited Biles, J. (1993). Folklore and historical context.