families, the chance of one person being chosen is reduced significantly with each additional member of teh family. The opposite is true for small families. Because women are the producers of children, they are the main target of the lottery. They are encouraged to produce more children, thereby taking upon even more responsibilities as a housewife. The social status of women in this society shows that division of gender exists. Contrary to the superiority of men, women were disenfranchised in this village. The role of women in this society is that they are to be at home with their children while their husbands work. Jackson portrays women as "wearing faded house dresses and sweaters...standing by their husbands"(195). This shows their lack of power and low placement in society. Bill Hutchinson proves his authority over his wife when he "forced the slip of paper out of his wife's hand" in order to determine who in his family would be the victim(200). They were thought of as housewives and were not given the privilege of representing their family under most circumstances. This, of course, puts women at a disadvantage. Another disadvantage for the women is that when they marry, they must draw with their husband's famliy in the lottery. Since the men are to chose the slip, the women have no say in their own fate and must accept the responsibility if their family is chosen. Only if her family is chosen, is she allowed to pick a slip, determining if she will be stoned to death. This is evident when Mr. Summers asks Mrs. Dunbar who will be drawing for her husband due to his absence in the lottery. She replies "Me, I guess". Mr. Summers answers with astonishment, "wife draws for husband, don't you have a grown boy to do it for you"(196-7). The same is true of Mrs. Hutchinson who leaves her housework in order to attend the lottery. Mrs. Hutchinson, forgetting what day it was, "dried her hands on her apron" and hurried to be with the rest of th...
