The Lottery
By: Shirley Jackson

A symbol that I took note of in this story was the black box.  It is a symbol of tradition, which is why the people still have it.  "...But no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box" (265).  The box is old and falling apart.  The narrator says that after each lottery, there is always talk of replacing the old box.  However, that has yet to happen.  "There was a story that the present box had been made with some pieces of the box that had preceded it, the one that had been constructed when the first people settled down to make a village here" (265).  The people stay loyal to their roots and traditions, which explains why they still have not replaced the shabby box.  The box is used for the lottery, which gives it further symbolic meaning.  The lotteries have been traditions within the villages for years.  However, it is stated that other surrounding villages no longer practice the lottery.  I think it's interesting that the people are so dedicated to keeping the tradition of the box and lottery alive.  The lottery altogether seems like a crazy and ridiculous idea for a tradition, and they do not have any real evidence that it truly is a tradition.  In my opinion, they are almost brainwashed with the idea that the lottery and its outcome serve as a traditional practice.