Shirley Jackson's text, "The Lottery," depicts a lottery different from a typical one in three main ways. First, Jackson's lottery is compulsory. Participation is mandatory, whereas participation in a typical lottery is optional. Freedom of choice, and furthermore, freedom from risk, typically resides within control of the individual. In Jackson's text, however, the individual has lost that freedom.
The second main difference is in the form of payment. A typical lottery requires a monetary submission. Individuals pay for entrance and opportunity. Individuals in the text are not required to submit any form of entrance fee.
The third outstanding difference between Jackson's lottery and a typical one is the nature of the reward. While a typical lottery rewards the winner with a monetary gain, Jackson's provides death by stoning. The reasoning behind the fictional lottery alludes to keeping order in society, so the reward could arguably be for the losers of the lottery in that, with each winner's death, they are assured continued order, safety, and happiness.
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