In a seemingly ordinary small town, anticipation fills the air as residents awaken on the twenty-seventh of June, ready for the annual lottery—a ritual steeped in tradition where every family must participate, yet no one hopes to win. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” a cornerstone of American literature, masterfully explores the tension between societal norms and individual morality. First published in The New Yorker, the story sparked widespread controversy and letters from readers seeking to
