Lottery has long been a popular pastime for many, offering them the chance to fantasize about winning a fortune at a price of only a few bucks. But for others—often those with the least amount of money to spare—playing can be a real budget drain. Indeed, numerous studies have found that lower-income people make up a disproportionate share of lottery players. Critics say that this makes the lottery a disguised tax on those who can afford it the least.
A lottery is a game of chance in which prizes are awarded to participants through a random process. Prizes are usually money or goods. While there are many different types of games that are considered a lottery, the term is most often used to refer to those in which payment of some sort of consideration (money or property) is required for a chance at winning a prize. Those that require payment but do not award a prize based on the amount paid are generally called non-lottery games or commercial promotions.
Some of the earliest lotteries took place in the Low Countries during the 15th century, and there are records of them in towns such as Ghent, Utrecht, and Bruges. These public lotteries were primarily used for raising funds for town fortifications and to help the poor. In the early modern period, lotteries became a widespread and popular method for collecting taxes.
In the United States, lotteries were common before and during the Revolutionary War, with the Continental Congress using them to raise money for various projects. After the Revolution, states continued to use them frequently for a variety of reasons, including to fund public works and military service. Lotteries are also sometimes used to raise money for religious, educational, and charitable purposes.
The titular lottery in Jackson’s story takes on profound meaning when understood in its social and historical context. It offers a microcosmic example of the human cost of invented national culture, and the cruelty that can be a consequence of this culture. It is important to understand this context, especially as the world began to heal from the devastations of World War II. It is also important to consider how Jackson’s refusal to set her story in a particular place further underscores this point. By refusing to impose a specific setting, she invites readers to reflect on the generalizations about lottery-playing cultures that can be made without specific examples. This is a fundamental element of the story’s satirical power.