Lottery is a common way to award prizes to people who pay to participate in a drawing. Some of the more popular lotteries are financial, in which participants pay a small sum for the chance to win a large jackpot. Other lotteries are run to award things like units in a subsidized housing block or kindergarten placements at a public school. Many of these are regulated by governments and the money raised is used to fund state or local programs.
Although some people have a low tolerance for gambling, the lottery seems to be fairly safe and popular with most people. A recent study of 15,000 households in Germany showed that the lottery induced a measurable change in life satisfaction, with people playing it more often than non-lottery gamblers and reporting a higher level of overall financial and life satisfaction after winning. The lottery also seemed to have a positive effect on family relationships and social cohesion, even though it is promoted as an alternative to paying taxes.
The short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson depicts the unquestioning obedience of a village to an outdated tradition. The action takes place in a idyllic setting, and the villagers behave with warmth and good cheer, so that it may seem impossible for them to actually carry out the gruesome events that are implied by the plot. However, the characterization of Tessie Hutchinson and her family members shows that they only care about their own survival. Moreover, they are unaware of the fact that their actions are cruel and wrong.
