The Lottery, Shirley Jackson’s short story, is a powerful critique of human nature. It depicts a small, idyllic, seemingly peaceful village that is capable of terrible acts. The villagers are so deeply entrenched in tradition and the lottery that they kill a woman simply because she was one of the unlucky winners. They feel no remorse and are willing to sacrifice anyone to maintain their custom.
The underlying argument in favor of state lotteries is that the proceeds provide painless public revenue, which allows politicians to spend freely and avoid direct taxes on the general population. This premise is flawed, however, as lottery revenues do not automatically benefit the public. Lottery revenues are often channeled to specific constituencies – convenience store operators (who typically serve as lottery vendors); lottery suppliers (heavy contributions by these suppliers to state political campaigns are regularly reported); teachers (in states where lottery revenues are earmarked for education); and state legislators themselves, who quickly become accustomed to the easy money.
In addition, the very concept of lotteries is problematic, based as it is on an arrangement that allocates prizes by chance and relies exclusively on luck. While many people are able to rationalize their participation in the lottery by arguing that someone has to win, the truth is that the odds of winning are extremely low, and there are no strategies one can employ to improve those odds. As a result, despite the fact that winning the lottery is not very likely, it remains an attractive option for those who are attracted to gambling.