A Review of Tessie Hutchinson’s Murder
A lottery is a form of public gambling that allows people to win prizes based on the random drawing of numbers or symbols. Prizes range from money to goods or services. In addition to state lotteries, private lotteries exist for a wide variety of purposes. Some, such as a housing or kindergarten lottery, offer units in a subsidized apartment block or coveted spots at a reputable public school, while others give away large cash sums. The lottery is also a popular fundraising tool for charities.
The story begins with the children assembling for the lottery first, “of course.” Jackson implies that they have always done this and that the wording is used to emphasize the sense of inevitability that surrounds the event. The story then goes on to reveal that, despite the fact that these children know they are about to participate in a brutal murder, they don’t care. They show no emotional attachment to Tessie Hutchinson, the family member who will be killed in this way, and are only interested in their own social status.
This shows that just because a tradition is ingrained in a culture doesn’t make it right or moral. In fact, it can lead to evil actions when it becomes accepted without question. Shirley Jackson uses Tessie’s plight in the story as a warning to readers that it is important to question the motives behind any traditions that may be harmful or detrimental to society.
Many critics of state lotteries focus on specific features of these programs, such as the problem of compulsive gambling and alleged regressive effects on lower-income groups. However, these arguments tend to miss the point. Studies have shown that lottery popularity is generally unrelated to a state’s fiscal condition. Instead, lottery criticism is often a result of political or ideological considerations.
As with most forms of public policy, it is difficult to develop a coherent and consistent “lottery policy.” Lottery officials have to balance the interests of individual players against the needs of the general population. They must also ensure that the industry is financially viable. To do this, they must constantly introduce new games and modify existing ones in order to keep interest high and revenues flowing in.
Although the popularity of state lotteries grows rapidly upon their introduction, they quickly reach a plateau and then begin to decline. To counter this, state lotteries are continuously introducing innovations such as instant games and scratch-off tickets to maintain player interest. However, these changes may not be enough to offset the inevitable decline in revenue. This has led to the development of a number of controversial strategies that are designed to increase player satisfaction and retain revenue.
