“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is perhaps the most controversial story in its history. It received a strong reaction when it was first published in the New Yorker in 1948, which caused many people to cancel their subscriptions to that magazine. “The Lottery” was censored and banned from many schools and libraries; it was even banned in South Africa. Even today the story elicits a huge reaction from readers. When I started reading I first noticed the title of the story. The word "lottery" usually makes people think of something joyful and exciting because usually in a lottery you get lucky and win a prize, but when I started reading the story I realized that it wasn't going in the direction I thought it would have gone. Once I got closer to the ending I finally realized that what I thought Jackson meant by lottery wasn't actually what he meant and how I thought it would go was not how it went. The story begins very pleasantly, with people gathering in the village talking and occasionally laughing. The children play and collect rocks, which Jackson continues to mention and suggests are significant in some way. Later in the story it is told how the lottery has always existed and how it is basically a tradition for the village. Even people don't question it because it's been around for so long. At the end of the story, the horror begins when Mrs. Hutchinson takes the piece of paper with the black spot on it. At this point Mr Hutchinson was very calm and casual. He didn't try to react; instead he simply accepted his wife's fate. The stoning of Ms. Hutchinson began as she screamed that it wasn't right. There is a very uncomfortable calm to this lottery story. The...middle of the paper...ner, Mrs. Hutchinson. At first some people were reluctant to throw the stones, but it happened. I would think that the people in the story wanted to speak out and end the lottery, but the thought of going against tradition intimidates them because they might be punished for having their own ideas instead of conforming to other people's ideas about lottery tradition. I find people's behavior in this situation disturbing because it shows that human beings are capable of being cruel when reinforced by society and tradition without questioning them. The ending of “The Lottery” had a huge impact on readers, leaving people angry, horrified or moved and above all everyone confused and with questions. Jackson, however, rarely commented on his story, which led to unanswered questions and wandering minds and, ultimately, the major controversy over "The Lottery"..”