4. The Lottery
Description

Read Shirley Jackson’s short story The Lottery (Links to an external site.). After reading it in full, you will compose a brief composition in which you engage in a close reading of the story in order to answer the following questions:

Are we as civilized as we think we are? Is there any barbarism present in American culture? What rituals in our society are like The Lottery? What societal/individual needs do these rituals fulfill? What values are present in or absent from this story? Are the values of compassion and responsibility represented at all? Can we learn anything from their inclusion or absence? When is it right to go against the majority? Is this a story about conformity, or is there more to it? What do you think you would do if you lived in that town? Are the people in the village guilty of murder? Why or why not?

This composition should be at least 500 words in length, and it should be in MLA format (note: if you need assistance with MLA formatting guidelines, here is a useful resource).

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