In 1948 the New Yorker Magazine published a story written by Shirley Jackson entitled “The Lottery”. This story begins on June 27, a clear and sunny day, at ten in the morning. Clear and sunny could be indicative of a cheerful and happy story; however, as the story progresses, no happy ending is discovered. “The Lottery” is the story of a horrible death, in which a small agricultural society considered a necessary sacrifice for the good of their crops. Tessie Hutchinson was stoned without remorse because she was the “winner” of the town lottery. In “The Lottery” Jackson uses an interesting and unique approach to demonstrate the attributes of a male-dominated society; as well as intertwined in religious symbolism along with the final sacrifice of life. Before 1848, most of America was dominated by the male population. The town in “The Lottery” is set in a more modern era than 1848; however, it appears to be completely run by men. Jackson describes the men of the town as official and enterprising; talking about tractors and taxes. The women are portrayed as gossipy housewives wearing house dresses and faded sweaters. Tessie, one of the housewives, was late because she was at home washing the dishes. He says to Mrs. Delacroix: “I forgot what day it was. I thought my old man was out there stacking wood," he continued. "And then I looked out the window and the kids were gone, then I remembered it was the twenty-seventh." Then he proceeds ahead of the crowd to be with her husband. Several men, such as Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves, play important roles in the story, but one man seems to be more outspoken than the others. Mr. Warner follows a tradition that has been… the focus of the paper… many traditions, both historical and modern, around the world that most outsiders would consider crazy. Similar to Jackson's story, there are many regions of the world where "honorable death" is a dark and corrupt tradition For example, devout Islamic fundamentalists practice an ancient tradition of killing women who deviate from their religious requirements and obligations. This sacrifice is believed to restore religious honor to the woman's soul and her father's family. This event is unimaginable to most modern societies, but is a tradition of honor within the fundamentalist faction of Islam. Based on Jackson's story, I believe the characters viewed the ultimate sacrifice of death as honorable and necessary to perform this ritual. A ritual that will continue every year without hesitation… or until Mr. Warner rolls the “winning” ticket”.!