"The Lottery and Other Stories" Quotes

Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.

The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions.

Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones.

The lottery was conducted—as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program—by Mr. Summers.

The feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they preferred the feeling of tradition.

It's not the way it used to be. People ain't the way they used to be.

The villagers had to be reminded of the rules, had to be watched closely.

The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool.

Suddenly, Tessie Hutchinson shouted to Mr. Summers, 'You didn't give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair!'

The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago, and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born.