In a lottery you pay for a chance to win something, usually money. The prize could also be anything from a new car to a trip. Federal law prohibits the advertising of lotteries through the mail or over the telephone, but it allows for them to be promoted in person. Lotteries are legal in most states and raise a large amount of money for public uses, including roads, buildings, schools, churches, canals, and bridges. They have long been a popular way of raising funds for private or public projects.
When the villagers open their slips, Mr. Summers announces that there will be a winner, and everyone sighs as Little Dave’s paper is blank. Nancy and Bill’s papers are blank, too, but Tessie’s is not. It has a black mark on it. She must be the victim of the lottery, and all the families in the village are now prepared to stone her to death.
What makes this story so chilling is the speed with which the villagers turn on Tessie. Apparently they do not see her as a victim. They are only following tradition, which is based on their belief that the lottery is a just way to decide who should die. This echoes the way in which certain groups of people, like women or ethnic minorities, are used as scapegoats by societies organized around patriarchal traditions. Sadly, this type of society still exists in many parts of the world.