“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson has been criticized, but its longevity and durability prove that it stands the test of time. In the article "Jackson's The Lottery", author AR Coulthard finds a deeper meaning in the story that other critics have not found. Coulthard believes the story is a “parable of the evil inherent in human nature” rather than “an assault on senseless cultural conformity,” as other critics have suggested (Coulthard 226). Coulthard shows how something that most likely began as a primitive and ignorant way to ensure prosperity, evolved into a complete need for sanctioned violence and murder. Coulthard offers valid arguments to support his thesis. Coulthard believes that the villagers' actions and behavior are evidence of an underlying pleasure in killing. His analysis shows that the villagers mask their anticipation of the murder under false and thinly veiled social gestures. Coulthard highlights the contrast between the social friendship between Mrs. Delacroix and Tessie Hutchinson and how quickly the superficial friendship crumbles when Tessie is chosen for sacrifice. Mrs. Delacroix “chose a stone so large that she had to pick it up with both hands,” which is in stark contrast to how a true friend would behave (Jackson 393). Participating in the lottery causes the villagers to lose the ability to be empathetic and their family and friendship bonds suffer. The lottery encourages them to abandon the bonds of love and loyalty and tap into the deepest recesses of the darkness that lies within humanity. The lottery does not offer them prosperity, but strips them of all that is good in humanity. The villagers are masked behind the evil that awaits them every year on a sunny June day. The other 364 from...... middle of paper ......kill too much to mourn such irrelevant losses as love, friendship, and family, community, and human bonds. Works Cited Coulthard, AR "Jackson's THE LOTTERY. " Explicator 48.3 (1990): 226. Academic SearchPremier. EBSCO. Network. October 26, 2010.Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery" The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction.8th ed. Compact. Anna Charter. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2011. 387-393. Print.Jackson, Shirley. "The morning of June 28, 1948 and "The Lottery" "The story and its writer: an introduction to short fiction. 8th ed. Compact. Anna Charter. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. 950-952. Press.