It'll be ok, until it's not (The Lottery)
“‘ Get up there, Bill,’ Mrs. Hutchinson said, and the people near her laughed. ” - Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery,” pg. 297. We meet Tessie Hutchinson early in “The Lottery,” much like many other characters - Jackson does a good job of making the town seem small and personable, something that adds a layer to the dark turn the narrative takes as friendly townspeople ultimately turn on one of their own. This is powerful, because it allows us to contrast people’s opinions of the lottery before and after the drawing is made. In Mrs. Hutchinson’s case, she first appears in the story as the final person to arrive for the drawing, having forgotten which day it was. Once she remembered, though, she “came a-running” - notably without any hesitation, fear, or ill will towards the lottery system. Later on, though, the people’s level of anxiety rises as everybody remembers that they could be the person chosen. During the drawing on page 297, the townspeople’s tension is so thick you c...