Shirley Jackson, well known for her over 200 short stories, 6 novels and 2 memoirs, was a very profound author, one of her most popular short stories is " The Lottery" (1948) enlightens us on how some people can commit evil acts against their peers without showing remorse and just to carry on a tradition. His argument is supported throughout the story because multiple acts are put on to show how important this tradition is to them. Shirley wrote this to show the lengths people would go to keep a tradition alive. The audience Jackson writes to is made up of teenagers and adults, but not young readers who want to learn about death. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayWhen you think about winning a lottery, most people think about winning a grand prize, but in this case it is the exact opposite and it can end very drastically. It has no designated or positive purpose and throughout the story instead of wanting to end the lottery everyone wants to keep it a tradition. Old Man Warner and other characters in the tale state in many places that the lottery should not be postponed, although in some places it is. When Warner found out his first words were: "A bunch of fools", he also says: "Listening to the young people, nothing is good enough for them". This gives the perception that the perpetrator believes there is no harm in harming innocent people. Jackson opens the story by showing that this ritual is practiced by everyone in the city and has been going on for decades now. The story shows how the children of the town were just as much a part of the ritual as everyone else. Once out of school "Bobby Martin picked up some of the smoother, rounder rocks and his classmates began to do the same" as if they had been anxiously waiting for this day to come. Just as importantly, Old Man Warner continually talks about how he survived the lottery for 77 years, this shows how long this ritual has existed and also how many years he has survived. It is very disturbing to know that even the youngest children participated in these brutal acts. Not to mention, it seems like it's every family for themselves in this little village. As the story continues to escalate and the lottery begins, names are drawn and it all comes down to the Hutchinson family, Bill Hutchinson's wife Tessie begins to act out of control in fear of knowing that her husband or one of his children is about to . be stoned to death. The husband lashes out at the wife, telling her to “shut up” when she tried to defend him once she discovered that her family name was the chosen one. In the end, Tessie ends up being the chosen one. Everyone picks up their stones as they begin to stone Tessie, including some of the women she was close with in the village. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayMrs. Delacroix and Tessie had an entire conversation before the lottery began, but ultimately Mrs. Declacroix ended up having a role in Tessie's stoning. In the text we read that “Ms. Delacroix chose a stone so large that she had to take it with both hands” this simply shows that people cannot be trusted because even your own friends will turn their backs on each other other. Both quotes are examples of direct evidence, meaning they require no justification and the evidence alone is enough to prove the claim. Your closest friends can sometimes be your worst enemies and you may never know it. All in all.