Pixie: Hello, my lovelies, my name is Pixie!

(Opens book while looking at the audience) Let me

tell you a story about a small village with a very curious tradition. (Reads the book) On a
beautiful summer day, the villagers came together for an annual event.

Event 1: Arrival of Villagers: All of the villagers arrived and greeted each other cheerfully in the
town square. (watches us act)

-acting-

Event 2: Children Gathering Stones: (back to reading the book) As for the children, they
excitedly ran around, playing, and gathering stones. (watches us act)

-acting-

Event 3: Assembly of Families: When all of them arrived, the families stood together,
chit-chatting and waiting for the event to begin.

Event 4: Drawing of Lots: Mr. Summers came in, bringing the black box. And one by one, the
heads of the families took a slip of paper, each hoping not to get the marked slip.

Event 5: Reactions to the Draw: The families react to their slips—some were relieved, others
were anxious.

Event 6: Bill Hutchinson Draws the Marked Slip: But then, Bill Hutchinson reveals that he got the
marked slip, making his family shocked.

Event 7: Final Drawing Among Hutchinson Family: The Hutchinson family came forward to
draw again to see who will be chosen.

Event 8: Tessie Hutchinson Protests: Then, Tessie Hutchinson suddenly protests loudly,
claiming that the lottery is not fair.

Event 9: Stoning of Tessie: But, despite her efforts, the villagers, including the children, picked
up the stones and surrounded Tessie, fulfilling the tradition.

(Closes the books and slowly walks toward the center while saying the highlighted line) (other
members will gather the thrown “rocks” and prepare for PART 2)

Pixie: And so, the lottery concludes for another year, leaving the villagers to return to their lives
until the next summer day when the tradition begins again.

Pixie: Let us now proceed with Stage 2!

"The Lottery," a short story by Shirley Jackson, was first published in *The New Yorker* on June
26, 1948. The initial audience reaction was overwhelmingly negative, and the story sparked
significant controversy.

**Initial Audience Reaction:**

1. **Shock and Outrage:** Readers were shocked by the story's brutal ending and the depiction
of a seemingly normal community engaging in a barbaric ritual. The abrupt and violent
conclusion left many readers disturbed and confused.

2. **Letters to the Editor:** *The New Yorker* received hundreds of letters from outraged
readers. These letters expressed confusion, anger, and even disgust. Some readers
misinterpreted the story as an actual report, while others were dismayed that such a grim story
was published without an obvious moral or explanation.

Out of 300 letters, only 13 of them were kind. the rest were about Readers who wanted to know
where such lotteries were held, and whether they could go and watch; declaring the story a
piece of trash, and their threat to cancel their new yorker subscription by those readers who
found the story too distressing. It was an unprecedented response, as *The New Yorker* had
never before received such a volume of negative feedback for a single piece.

Although there were readers who actually canceled their subscription and called Jackson as a
writer who have a bad taste, the majority of the letters were not angry but simply confused
because they wanted to understand what the story meant.

One of the many who took the story for a factual report was Stirling Silliphant, a producer at
Twentieth Century-Fox: “All of us here have been grimly moved by Shirley Jackson’s story. . . .
Was it purely an imaginative flight, or do such tribunal rituals still exist and, if so, where?”

**Controversy:**

1. **Misinterpretation:** Some readers believed "The Lottery" was a factual account or that it
reflected real practices, which heightened their outrage. This misinterpretation added to the
backlash, as people felt deceived or horrified by the idea that such a tradition could exist.

2. **Themes of Violence and Conformity:** The story's exploration of the human capacity for
violence, especially within the context of societal norms and traditions, was deeply unsettling.
Jackson's portrayal of a community that blindly follows a violent ritual sparked debates about the
nature of tradition and conformity.

3. **Moral Ambiguity:** Many readers struggled with the lack of a clear moral message. Unlike
other stories that clearly condemn certain actions, "The Lottery" leaves its readers to grapple
with the implications on their own. This ambiguity frustrated readers who sought clear answers
or resolutions.
4. **Literary Merit:** Despite the initial backlash, some critics and literary figures recognized the
story's powerful critique of social norms and its commentary on human nature. Over time, "The
Lottery" has come to be regarded as a seminal piece of American literature, praised for its bold
narrative and unflinching examination of societal violence.

Credible Citation:

- *Oppenheimer, Judy. "Private Demons: The Life of Shirley Jackson." Putnam, 1988.*

In her biography of Shirley Jackson, Judy Oppenheimer provides a detailed account of the initial
reception of "The Lottery" and the controversies it ignited. She documents the numerous letters
and reactions from readers, as well as the broader cultural implications of Jackson's work.
Oppenheimer's research offers an in-depth look at how "The Lottery" challenged and provoked
its audience, eventually securing its place as a classic in American literature.