The Lottery

Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" concerns itself with the concept that it can be acceptable to require the individual to sacrifice for the greater good. In this story, everyone goes with what is happening. No one rebels against it. Even though this is a cruel, horrible act, they for all some reason are willing to do it. Is it a sacrifice for the greater good? For what reason must this happen every year? What could be the greater good in the killing of someone each summer? Although I don’t see a greater good in the story, it is possible there is one for this community, and all the ones participating in the lottery. In the world today there are many examples of sacrificing for the greater good. War is a great example of this. In war, individuals fight, defend, and die for their country’s safety. This small percentage of people sacrifice their lives for the greater good of their country. Also, in sports it is very common to sacrifice things for the greater good of a team. This is something constantly talked about on our basketball team. We must make sacrifices to accomplish the greater goals of the entire team.