After the first publication, the audience had perceived “The Lottery” negatively, but later, this art piece obtained an appreciation. Tessie Hutchinson, the protagonist of the story, is a contradictory character who tries to find justice and save herself. The analysis of Tessie Hutchinson’s physical attributes and conflicts this character arises will show human weaknesses in her nature and reveal essential lessons readers can learn from her actions.
Tessie Hutchinson shows a variety of behavior patterns throughout the story, which characterize her from various sides. She is a woman with a family, as she has a husband and three children. The author emphasizes the lack of commitment in her character by describing her late arrival at the lottery. The mentioned fact also reveals Tessie’s careless attitude and positive thinking, indicating good fortune in her background (Jackson, n.d./1948). However, it is possible to state that Tessie is morally strong and takes care of her family members in complicated and dangerous situations. It is proved by her trying to avert the ritual of stoning to death by arguing against the event’s fairness (Jackson, n.d./1948). Tessie may be considered a hypocrite since her attitude changes toward the conditions of the situation. This character shows weaknesses and typical human traits, which arise from the desire to live and protect one’s family.
Tessie Hutchinson and her family are the event’s victims, which is the primary conflict she experiences. Tessie does not show the fear of being chosen and, according to the ritual’s provisions, sacrificed, and even jokes about it, saying, “wouldn’t have me leave m’dishes in the sink?” (Jackson, n.d./1948, p. 26). This pleasantry clearly indicates that the lottery for her is a game with little chance of affecting her. On the other hand, Tessie changes her behavior once it reveals that her family is chosen to be victims. She immediately tries to prevent the ritual of stoning to death by attempting to convince others that “it wasn’t fair” and does not succeed (Jackson, n.d./1948, p. 29). Tessie did not overcome that conflict because this character is intended to show human traits of nature, such as hypocrisy, but not unexpected salvation.
Tessie Hutchinson may be considered as an image of a regular, careless human being, a loving mother, and a hypocrite. She did not show her intentions to prevent the lottery’s conduction but tried to avoid the ritual of stoning to death (Jackson, n.d./1948). The main outcome of her behavior is the advice not to perceive potentially dangerous events thoughtlessly. It is possible that Jackson attempted to show that fate chose Tessie’s family to be victims because of her initially careless attitude toward the deadly ritual.
The Lottery is Shirley Jackson’s literary work that shows the conduction of an annual ritual of stoning to death the family chosen through casting lots. The protagonist of the story, Tessie Hutchinson, does not believe that she will be affected by the lottery and does not respect it. It is likely that the author showed that her behavior provoked the fate to punish the family by forcing her husband to pick the unlucky paper. Tessie attempted to prevent the murder but did not succeed. Readers were shown a transformation in her behavior after the casting lots, proving she is a hypocrite. However, she tried to protect her family, while no one did the same. To conclude, the evidence shows Tessie as an ordinary human with such weaknesses as inconsistent behavior and particular traits, as, for example, the will to protect and survive.
Reference
Jackson, S. (n.d.). The Lottery. Hevey190. Web.