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Mahadeo Khemraj
Professor Zino
English 162W
31 March, 2011
“Religion: A Mythical Space”
Religion is a common practice of people. People have a need for guidance in life, and believe
that there is a greater power in the universe because of inexplicable phenomenona. Religion sets morals
and social standards that are accepted by its followers, often unquestioningly. Symbolic actions and
rituals are practiced. Tuan writes, “Mythical space is a fuzzy area of defective knowledge surrounding
the empirically known; it frames pragmatic space. In the other it is the spatial component of a world
view, a conception of localized values within which people carry on their practical activities” (Tuan 86).
Religion fits the definition of a mythical space and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” exemplifies this idea
with ritualistic symbols. Geertz analyzed religion and noted that religions “establish powerful, pervasive,
long-lasting moods and motivations in men” (59). By observing actions in “The Lottery”, we can see that
religion and religious acts are, in fact, examples of mythical space and place. The lottery is an annual
event that is faithfully followed by the townsfolk, without question, as if it were a civic duty rather than
an event selected by the townspeople. We will analyze the process of the lottery, Mr. Summers, actions
of Old Man Warner, and the actions of the Hutchinson family as symbols.
According to Geertz, a symbol can be “used for any object, act, event, quality, or relation which
serves as a vehicle for a conception – the conception is the symbol’s ‘meaning’” (Geertz 59). Anything
can be symbolic, but it must have two parts: “a vehicle” and meaning. The first symbol that constructs
the premise of a religion is the practice of the lottery. Jackson writes, “The lottery was conducted – as
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were the square dances, the teenage club, the Halloween program – by Mr. Summers” (248). The act of
practicing the lottery is an example of “localized values within which people carry on their practical
activities”; everyone willingly partakes in the sacrifice as if it were any other event that had been
planned such as “square dances, the teenage club, [and] the Halloween program”. The reason for
practicing the lottery is that the sacrifice entails good harvest which is enforced by previous “results”.
The idea of sacrificing someone produces good crops is “defective knowledge” while the actual results
of a good harvest is “empirically known” (Geertz 59). The lottery meets the three criteria of mythical
space while functioning as a religious ritual.
As with all religions, there is a holy man: a person who recites the teachings and aids the rituals
by having someone recite the ideas of the lottery, “long-lasting moods and motivations in men” are
formed and continued over time. In the case of the lottery, we can see Mr. Summers as the holy man
who decides on what events are to occur. He plans all the extracurricular activities that take place in the
town as well as the lottery. Mr. Summers creates the lottery and oversees the process; he controls
whether or not the lottery takes place. Similarly, a clergyman decides that they will spread and serve as
an example of a religious practice. Mr. Summers is the vehicle that carries the meaning of “pervasive
motivations” where he spreads the practice of the lottery to the town’s people and motivates them into
practicing the custom.
Despite flawed reasoning for practicing the lottery, as with any religion, the religion can’t exist
without followers. Not only does the religious act mirror mythical space, but the traits of mythical space
can be found within the followers. Followers keep the mythical space alive and can transfer it to another
by having them join the religion. One devout follower of the lottery is Old Man Warner who is the eldest
of the village and has seen many lotteries. Warner comments on the ritual, “It’s not the way it used to
be”, clearly demonstrating the impact that the lottery has on him (252). An establishment of powerful
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moods is expressed through Warner when he instantly refuses the idea of removing the lottery and calls
it archaic. His confidence comes from his defective knowledge from an old saying “Lottery in June, corn
be heavy soon” (250). Warner can be seen as a religious fanatic, who is deeply rooted in his belief and
refuses to change any part of his belief. Warner is the vehicle that carries the meaning of long-lasting
impressions that religion can have over people (Geertz 59).
The Hutchinson family contains a wide variety of followers: the faithful, the new follower, and
the heretic; Billy Hutchinson, Davy Hutchinson, and Tessie Hutchinson. Billy Hutchinson is a faithful
follower who heeds any command given to him in order to fulfill his faith. Jackson writes, “Bill
Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paper out of her hand … Bill Hutchinson held it
up, and there was a stir in the crowd”, Bill sacrifices his wife because he chose to follow custom (252).
He goes as far as silencing his wife in public when she starts to protest. Once again, the three criteria of
mythical space can be seen through Bill’s actions.
Davy Hutchinson is a small child and is being raised with this ritual; he is new to this world and
learning the customs of the lottery. Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves coach Davy on what he should do
during the ceremony, “Mr. Graves took the hand of the little boy, who came willing with him up to the
box…Davy put his hand into the box and laughed…Mr. Graves took the child’s hand and removed the
folded paper from the tight fist and held it while little Davy stood next to him and looked up at him
wonderingly” (251). The scene gives us the sense that this is either Davy’s first lottery or that he is still
unaccustomed with all of the details of the lottery. However, Davy is aware of the result of the lottery
and is being guided to participate in the ritual despite his family member being the sacrifice. Two criteria
of mythical space are found in Davy: “pervasive motivations” (Geertz 59) and “a conception for practical
activities” (Tuan 86). Davy is so accepting of the beliefs and unquestioningly follows the actions that are
required of him; traits that are found among newer followers of a religion. Davy’s willingness to
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participate is the vehicle and the meaning of this action is localized values for practical activities (Geertz
59). Davy is being raised in this environment and accepts what is happening around him. He represents
the newest generation of participants in the ritual.
Tessie Hutchinson is a follower who questioned her belief and became a heretic. Tessie seemed
to be a believer of the lottery until her family was selected for the tribute. Tessie says, “You didn’t give
him enough time to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair” (251). She continues to protest
during the ceremony with no one paying heed to her. Once she began to protest, she mars her standing
with the community, meanwhile the community proceeds with the ritual. Similarly with religions,
heretics are shunned from the community, who believes in their customs. In Tessie’s case, the
community ignoring her serves as the vehicle and the meaning is a demonstration of powerful
motivations (Geertz 59). The town’s people show their faith and how strong it is; they are willing to
continue their ritual with no consideration of objections or alternative methods.
“The Lottery” is filled with symbolic actions and customs that portray mythical space; specifically
the ritual: the lottery; Mr. Summers decision to practice and create the lottery every year; the actions
taken by Old Man Warner; and the actions taken by the Hutchinson family. Mythical space is dependent
on three ideas: defective knowledge based on the empirically known (Tuan 86); a conception of
localized values within which people interact (Tuan 86); and establishment of powerful, long-lasting
beliefs (Geertz 59). These characters and actions represent a broad spectrum of religion and its
followers, drawing a parallel between religion and the lottery. The characters continue on with their
lives as if nothing strange or questionable had occurred, despite protests and rumors of other places
eliminating the ritual. These ideas are reflected in religion and its followers establishing religion as a
mythical space.
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Works Cited
Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery”. An Introduction to Fiction. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Grioia. United
States: Longman Publishing Group, 2010. Print.
Tuan, Yi-Fu. Space and Place. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1977. Print.