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How does the lottery affect Tessie Hutchinson and her family at the end of the story?

User Tri Bui
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Final answer:

The lottery in Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery' leads to a brutal end for Tessie Hutchinson who is stoned by the villagers, including her own family, underscoring themes of conformity, the darkness of human nature, and the potential savagery of social practices.

Step-by-step explanation:

How the Lottery Affects Tessie Hutchinson and Her Family

The lottery in Shirley Jackson's story has a devastating impact on Tessie Hutchinson and her family. The lottery is revealed to be an annual tradition where a seemingly benign event escalates into a violent and fatal conclusion for the 'winner.' Despite the initial portrayal of a community participating in a collective and seemingly innocuous ritual, the story ends with Tessie being selected in the lottery, which leads to her stoning by the villagers, including her own family members. Tessie's selection reveals the dark undercurrents of conformity and unquestioned traditions. Her protests of "It's not fair, it's not right" fall on deaf ears, as the community prioritizes the ritual over individual life, illustrating the potential for systemic brutality in social practices.

The lottery, contrary to some narratives where it bestows wealth or changes someone's life for the better, here becomes a means of sacrifice and underscores the human capacity for violence masquerading as tradition. The impact on Tessie's family is doubly severe, as they lose a family member and also participate in the act, highlighting the immense pressure of societal norms and the dissolution of personal morality within the mob mentality.

User Ooi
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Answer:

Near the end of "The Lottery," Bill draws the slip with the black spot in the first round, which means that someone in his family will be stoned to death. This immediately begins to cause tension within the family and between Bill's wife Tessie and some of people in the assembled crowd.

User Danuofr
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