The Lottery and Its Critics
The lottery is a form of gambling wherein tickets are purchased and one person is selected to win a prize. The prizes may be monetary or non-monetary, and the chances of winning depend solely on chance. Lottery prizes may also be distributed in a series of stages, with skill required at later stages. If the prize distribution in a lottery depends on chance only, it is considered to be a simple lottery; if skill is involved, it is a complex lottery. The lottery is a popular activity and is often seen as an alternative to raising taxes and cutting public services, as it provides revenue without direct burden on the state budget. However, despite the popularity of the lottery, its benefits are debated and it is argued that the lottery promotes gambling addiction, and leads to poorer people losing their money. It has also been reported that lottery profits are used for public purposes instead of funding them directly from tax revenues.
The short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson tells about a town where tradition plays an important role. The villagers greet each other, exchange gossip and handle each other in a friendly manner, even though their actions are cruel and violent. Jackson condemns human evil nature in this story and shows how easily we allow the oppressive norms of our societies to affect us.
In the beginning of the story, Mr. Summers, the man who represents authority, carries out a black wooden box and stirs up the papers inside it. Then the lottery begins and everyone takes their turns in order to draw. The main prize is death, but the villagers don’t seem to realize this. They continue to buy their tickets and draw, although they know that the odds of them winning are very low.
A number of critics have charged that the lottery is a form of bribery and that the prize amounts are too high for the probability of winning. In addition, they argue that lottery advertising is deceptive and presents a misleading picture of the odds of winning and the value of the prize money. In general, they believe that the state is not in a position to judge whether the benefits of the lottery outweigh its costs. In addition, studies have shown that state governments do not use lottery proceeds to fund specific public services, but rather that they rely on lotteries as a way to boost budgetary revenues and to avoid tax increases. The decision to run a lottery is often made by local politicians and community leaders, but the evolution of the industry is piecemeal and incremental, with little or no overall policy oversight. As a result, the overall welfare of society is taken into consideration only intermittently and at best, intermittently. Consequently, the lottery is widely perceived as an example of government at cross-purposes with the public interest.