“The Lottery” is a story that shows the complexity and capacity of human behavior. Something immoral, like stoning a person to death once a year, is a normal phenomenon. The main character, Tessie Hutchinson, falls victim to the lottery. Tessie is a character with a number of seemingly good characteristics, but the surrounding culture rejects these characteristics. The majority of the village's inhabitants have attitudes and beliefs opposite to those of Tessie. These attitudes and beliefs reflect one's personal desires which quickly clash with cultural expectations. Tessie is not like the other villagers; she is initially indifferent to the lottery, indicating that her desires have nothing to do with the lottery. After winning the lottery, Tessie changes and her personal desires to survive and reject the lottery emerge in her selfishness and outspoken personality. These struggles against village expectations manifest through the culture's emphasis on tradition and small-town connections. Tessie is different from the other villagers, almost defiant. This quality is evident when she arrives late to the event. Consumed by simple household chores, like washing dishes, she completely forgot about the lottery until she realized that her entire family was gone. His late arrival is strange because the tradition of the lottery is of great importance to the village culture. Apart from Tessie, everyone else arrived early and waited calmly for the lottery to start. Her late arrival not only separates her from the other villagers, but also attracts everyone's attention as she rushes through the crowds to reunite with her family. After arriving, Tessie immediately begins making jokes about his absence. She appears to do this... middle of paper ......tery because of its value to the culture. The uniformity of the villagers' beliefs against Tessie shows their attachment to the lottery tradition, as well as their closeness to each other. It is unclear whether Tessie is the first to protest the lottery, or whether others before her have done so. Regardless, the villagers will continue to enter the lottery and believe it's fair, perhaps until they become victims. Tessie showed this same transition in the story, indicating the complexity of human behavior. Humans are entirely shaped by socialization and traditions, and only when something threatens life can real concerns and attitudes emerge. Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery”. Literature: a portable anthology. Gardner, Janet E.; Lawn, Beverly; Ridl, Jack; Schakel, Pepter. 3rd edition. New York: Bedford/St. Martin, 2012. 242-249. Print.