Monday, November 12, 2007

Live Blogging: "The Lottery"

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110 comments:

eric said...

Go blogging

blakeh said...

woohoo!

BenE said...

hey guys

blakeh said...

hi ben

BenE said...

hey blake

blakeh said...

whats up?

McKenzieM said...

eric you can't talk to rest of the time

Emily A said...

Why would a town have a "lottery" to see who is stoned?

AdrienneB2009 said...

I think it's a form of population control.

blakeh said...

everyone agrees to think that this is a weird story. What does everyone here think of this story?

eric said...

I agree with Mike that the story wasn't really Gothic until the end of the story

MandyN said...

Why was this tradition kept for all these years in this town?

BenE said...

I think it almost seemed like they joked the whole time up to the lotter, so do you think that they have fun eith killing people each year?

LyndseyB said...

It reminded me of the crucible when they talked about how other towns had stopped doing the lottery but the villagers refused to stop.

blakeh said...

the lottery provides fairness among the people instead of just picking someone out of spite or something like that

Janae said...

I don't there is a reason for the lottery it's just killing off people family members and cause pain.

McKenzieM said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
AdrienneB2009 said...

Warren keeps saying the ritual is lost. When it started, was it religious or sacred and now it's just something they do out of habit?

LyndseyB said...

It almost seemed like they did enjoy killing them, as long as it wasn't them they went along with the killing. Is that just human nature?

Hannah L said...

During the story characters were saying that it was crazy that other towns were getting rid of the lottery. So maybe they didn't understand the meaning but they liked the concept.

Emily A said...

But wouldn't they have done something different, besides just randomly killing someone?

Kristin M said...

I also agree with Mike, at the beginning of the story it didn't seem Gothic, and at the end of the story you could tell the story was Gothic.

Janae said...

Mandy I think there are afraid of change in the town.

eric said...

I agree with Lyndsey in the fact that it is a little bit like the Crucible. And the purpose is exactly what Ian is saying about why they do it every year.

LyndseyB said...

i think the lottery helps mantain fear in the town

blakeh said...

It could be that the people of the town like to stick with old traditions and don't like to renovate or want even to.

MandyN said...

i think that they should have followed the other towns by stopping the lottery.

Hannah L said...

Where did he get the superstition the lottery seems to be more of a tradition than sacrifice.

BenE said...

Is there anything deeper to this other than they are just killing someone? Is there any reason?

Softballer34 said...

Why were they so happy when they first got there? I think thats pretty sketch!

AdrienneB2009 said...

Why does Mrs. Hutchinson think it's so unfair. They have been conducting this tradition for years and she's participated but when it comes down to self preservation, would she have preferred one of her children or husband to be stoned?

mallorym said...

Back to what Mike and Kristin said, is there a certain quote or something a character does that sort of reveals the Gothic Setting?

McKenzieM said...

I agree with mandy. If the lottery was such a problem then they should stop it all together.

Softballer34 said...

Sup errrbody??? Im chillen up in here!

Kristin M said...

I agree with Blake, I don't think they wanted to change their tradition

eric said...

I agree with Ian that they are superstitious. Also with Wes about how it is similar to the Village. I believe it is a very secluded location just like the village was

LyndseyB said...

Hannah, they got the notion cus the story kept talking about trying to keep the old traditions and the black box

Janae said...

do you think the black box have a meaning

blakeh said...

In response to Ben, i think the reasons could be tied in with many different things like religion, society, population control, or there could just be no real reason

Kristin M said...

I like John's comment about how the black box might hold all the secrets

Softballer34 said...

Why did these people think that hurting one person a month was ok? People actually seemed excited to throw the rocks.

AdrienneB2009 said...

What do you guys think about the significance of the black spot on the paper? Is it the evil mark similar to what pirates believe and could they be weeding out the bad?

McKenzieM said...

I understand ben's question. I don't see any reason to kill someone. There's nothing that says that someone has to die.

LyndseyB said...

What is significant about a black box? The lottery, the crucible...

Emily A said...

I think that "The Lottery" also relates to The Village because both societies wanted to keep the townspeople in fear so they will do as they same. Also the black box in both the story and movie I think represents secretes and fate.

blakeh said...

I think that because the society is so secluded from other societies is why it is so abstract and different, by staying with old traditions.

MandyN said...

With mallory's quote i think that there is a subtle setting about where the square is in the town and kind of the feeling in the town.

Hannah L said...

Maybe keeping the black box is part of tradition and holding on to a the few original parts that the older lottery had.

eric said...

I see what Sarah is saying about how we would all be the same.

BenE said...

Blake, I agree that it could be religious, but for population control by killing one person? I also think it could come sown to fear.

blakeh said...

You spelled "chilling" wrong gangsta home slice.

mallorym said...

It seems like these people are just doing things to do them. Like keeping the lottery, killing people, and having the black box. I'm seeing it like there is almost no meaning behind some of the things, but tons of meaning behind others.

blakeh said...

Ben, but the problem with fear is that eventually the people would have done something about killing each other if they were so afraid such as form a rebellion

MandyN said...

With lindsey quote i think that the black box relates to the crucible because in the crucible they actually had a black box that had the past of the people in the village. In the lottery, it determined a persons furture rather than their past.

eric said...

Does the color black always mean something negative in the stories we have read?

AdrienneB2009 said...

Is it once a month or once a year?

Softballer34 said...

People still didn't care whether or not it wasn't right because they were talking about how the other villages quit doing the lottery and the people thought that the other villages quiting was a bad idea. Basically they were saying in their hearts they truly didn't know what they do is wrong.

Kristin M said...

I agree with Hannah, I think they are "holding on" to their tradition

Hannah L said...

I agree with Adrianne when she said that the black dot references to something bad and to witches.

Emily A said...

I think that the lottery was exciting to the townspeople because they didn't know who was going to be stoned.

blakeh said...

well maybe the reason the people are so happy is because they find sacrificing each other to be for a good cause. They could be viewed as devout for believing in and taking part in sacrificial ceremonies.

LyndseyB said...

I agree with hannah dodey that they keep the lottery out of tradition only because they know nothing else.

BenE said...

In response to Eric, I think black has a signifigance to where it holds bad things. In the lottery it was someone's fate, and in the village it was bad memories.

MandyN said...

I agree with addreinne that the color black necessarily doesn't mean something bad. For example, in the village the color red was meant evil.

eric said...

I agree with Hannah that the society has been brainwashed. This also reminds me of the Village in some ways.

mallorym said...

Along with the inner circle comment, I think they're scared to let go of what's been a tradition for so long. People are afraid to speak their minds because who knows what can happen. They are afraid of change.

McKenzieM said...

I totally agree with Drew. Of course no one is going to question the tradition because if the tradition is to kill, they won't have any problem killing someone who disagrees.

Softballer34 said...

Eric why do you assume that? U hating on the blackness?? LOL

BenE said...

Blake, the towns people kinda seem sorta spit over this and should one side rebell, the other side would go out and take 'em on and that would be bad.

blakeh said...

it probably also has a matter of perspective. Much like the times of Egypt when the people sacrificed each other to make the sun rise, they could be doing this for some kind of superstition or belief.

LyndseyB said...

True, but there was the black box in the crucible. I think the color black is deceptive. It makes me think of shadows, or maybe secrets in the case of the crucible.

AdrienneB2009 said...

So does everyone agree they don't know why they do it but they can't stop because it's tradition?

Janae said...

Black usually hold and deep and dark secret and it brings out mysterious things in something.

eric said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Softballer34 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
blakeh said...

Ben, the people could just choose not to question why they are obligated to participate in the lottery. Maybe they want to?

Emily A said...

I agree with Wes when he talked about how they have to keep the lottery because it is like a way of life.

BenE said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mallorym said...

Everything seems against their own will.

Kristin M said...

I agree with what Wes said

AdrienneB2009 said...

There's a black box of secrets in the Village too.

MandyN said...

I agree with addreiene that everyone wants to stop it but they can't because it is a tradition. The old man in the story was talking about the other villages that had stopped the lottery, he explains that they are foolish and ruined the tradition.

BenE said...

Blake, maybe they do, but because it is such a tradition, it doesn't even cross their minds. Here's a dumb example, but nobody questions thanksgiving because it's such a tradition.

eric said...

Going off of what Kendra said, do you think the author is a sexist?

Softballer34 said...

Lets be honest here I'm fresh to death!

Hannah L said...

In response to Kelsey I think the villagers that haven't had family member that have been chosen like it because it's a risk. Old man warrner had been in the Lottery 77 times and he had never been chosen. When he said that it was crazy that other towns were getting rid of the lottery, it shows how evil and risky that character was.

blakeh said...

people could want to kill because they have been raised to enjoy the idea of death. Death doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, the people could view it as something good. But the use of the color black makes what they are doing seem more barbaric than it really is.

MandyN said...

i agree with a comment that was said in the inner circle that in the story the women roles were similar to the roles of women in ww2.

Softballer34 said...

Rocks are punishment or sacrifice?

Janae said...

I don't think the author is a sexist. In the past most women didn't have a lot of power in the world.

Emily A said...

I agree with Mike when he questioned why the wife couldn't go up to the ox, but the son can. I was wondering the same thing. Do you think if Tessie went up to the box she would have thought is was as "unfair"?

BenE said...

Could the lottery be rigged?

McKenzieM said...

I agree with Adrienne. This is just like the Village. The small society of the town uses the lottery as a hysteria to keep the citizens in line just as the people of the village use the animals in the woods to keep the people in the town.

LyndseyB said...

Is there something in Tessie's character that makes her the one to die.

blakeh said...

good point Ben, but the conflict with that is that the during thanksgiving people know the true purpose of it. In this the people just do it out of human nature. i think that the purpose is to keep violence from rising in the town, if you allow the people to kill and engage in violent activities it wouldn't be as big of an issue in the town.

Emily A said...

"box" my bad!

Softballer34 said...

What would have happened if it was a little kid? Where are their morals?

SaraB2009 said...

I think Ben brings up a good point does Mr Summer's rig the lottery to save himself, and going back to the fact that women did not have that much power maybe he made it so there was a women who got the black dot, to save the men.

BenE said...

Blake, that's a good point because it gives them a chance to get their angry out once a year and they get to waste someone.

MandyN said...

In response to lindsey, i think that tesse character was selfish and everybody kind of wanted her to be picked. Also, i think that if she wasn't picked and her daughter was picked than she would rather stone her.

eric said...

I think the lottery could be rigged in some way if someone had a grudge on someone.

Hannah L said...

In response to Lyndsey's comment the way that Tessie's character is set up she is the best one to die because she is annoying. The story makes it seem like if someone has to die she is better to be that person than children because their innocent and the husband is shown as a nice good man.

Emily A said...

I agree with Ian because at first I thought the town was loving and a town that was close with everyone, but then they started killing people.

blakeh said...

sara, i think that it shows how male dominated their civilization is. It kind of raises the issue of if this book is pro-male or female

SaraB2009 said...

In comment to Mrs. Leclaire I think it is uncanny because the village is so happy and friendly but they choose one person to stone and kill, so it shows that even what looks happy on the out side can do something like that.

Softballer34 said...

It could only be rigged if Mr.Summers did it because he is the one who hides it and sets it up.

BenE said...

you're wrong.

AdrienneB2009 said...

They act normal about it, laughing and smiling, and there is anticipation that goes along with it. Even the kids are excited about it. The kids have lost some innocence. I find that uncanny. Little Davy wouldn't have stoned his own mother if he knew better.

Taylor H said...

I agree with everyone that believes that the lottery was created as a detterant to these people. It created a sense of fear that causes the townpeople to avoid questioning so as to not void out the lottery. They find themselves in chaos amongst eachother because they have become so comsumed with the lottery.

Taylor H said...

I agree with everyone that believes that the lottery was created as a detterant to these people. It created a sense of fear that causes the townpeople to avoid questioning so as to not void out the lottery. They find themselves in chaos amongst eachother because they have become so comsumed with the lottery.