When Shirley Jackson published "The Lottery" in 1948, the general public was stunned to read a story about such a brutal ritual set in modern day. It especially caught readers off guard because it was written by an author who had, up until then, never written anything particularly controversial. The first two-thirds of the story carry a peaceful tone, setting up friendships and seemingly healthy relationships. It is not until the end of the story that the reader discovers the evil purpose behind this community's annual lottery. Readers did not understand Jackson's purpose in placing such an ancient ritual in her present-day story. In the July 28 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, she clarified: "Explaining just what I had hoped the story to say is very difficult. I suppose, I hoped, by setting a particularly brutal ancient rite in the present and in my own village to shock the...