In the United States, the government operates lotteries to raise money for a variety of purposes. Most state governments consider their lotteries a public service and allow anyone to participate in the lottery. The prize amounts vary, and a percentage of the pool is deducted for costs of running the lottery and promoting it. The remaining prizes are available to winners. Some prizes are very large, and others are small. People tend to buy tickets for the largest possible prize, which may be a large cash sum or a free ticket to a future drawing.
In addition to raising public funds for various public projects, lotteries also encourage individuals to take risks and learn about probability. A person can find out how much he or she stands to win by comparing the odds of winning against the total number of tickets sold. If a person wants to increase his or her chances of winning, the individual can purchase more tickets and increase the amount of money he or she invests. A few years ago, Nobel Prize winning behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman conducted a well-known experiment with participants in the United States. He and his research team divided a group of participants into two groups. Half of the group purchased tickets for a random draw, and the other half opted to purchase a single ticket. Then, the researchers manipulated the results. They revealed the winning ticket numbers to the first group, and they did not do so to the second group. The result was that the majority of the first group’s tickets were winners. This showed that individuals in the United States have a tendency to believe that their choices are randomly made, even though they are not.
Another important theme in this story is blindly following tradition. In this story, the lottery is held annually. People gather to see who will be chosen as the new victim. Although the prize for this lottery is death, people still continue to participate in it every year. This shows how much of an evil nature humans have. People will do evil things to other people, despite being taught that it is wrong.
Moreover, the setting in this short story is quite disturbing. It reflects a society that is deeply rooted in hypocrisy and wickedness. Throughout the story, we see people mistreating one another in conformation to their cultural norms and beliefs. Mrs. Hutchinson’s death is a final illustration of this grotesqueness.
The story also explores some of the most common methods of characterization in literature. The author uses a combination of descriptive and action-oriented techniques to develop the characters in this story. For example, Mrs. Hutchinson’s quick temper is displayed in her actions, such as her picking up a rock so big that she can barely hold it. These kinds of details are essential to understanding this type of narrative. They are also essential in determining how readers will react to the story.