A lottery is a form of gambling in which numbers are drawn for prizes. Most states have state-run lotteries that offer instant-win scratch-off games, daily numbers games and “pick three/four” games. Lottery games promote the false hope that money can solve problems and buy things that cannot be bought with anything else (the biblical prohibition against coveting is enshrined in Exodus 20:17 and 1 Timothy 6:10). Most lotteries are promoted by a combination of government sponsorship and media advertising. The primary function of state lotteries is to raise revenue and thus provide public services. This puts them at cross-purposes with the goal of reducing the incidence of compulsive gambling and poverty.
The narrator’s mention of the black box implies that the villagers regard the lottery as an ancient tradition, one that should be carried on. It suggests that the village’s culture is based on patriarchy, with families organized around adult men. In her story, Shirley Jackson draws attention to the role scapegoats play within such societies. When someone is blamed for a problem, it helps to valorize the dominant group. Jackson’s choice of a mute girl named Tessie Hutchinson to be the ultimate scapegoat emphasizes this point.
The establishment of state lotteries involves policy decisions that can be very complicated. In many cases, the evolution of lottery policies is piecemeal and incremental. As a result, the welfare of the general public is often overlooked. In fact, many state lottery officials do not have a clear sense of what their own policies should be.