"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is a short story first published in 1948 in the magazine The New Yorker. When first published, it received an incredibly negative response from readers. This controversial story was banned in America and became one of the most banned books in schools and libraries. Over time, it has become a classic American story.

The reader is taken into a narrative journey which finds the traditions and values of small town America twisted into a sort of barbaric violence. You may be surprised to realize that the town's "lottery" is not at all what you imagine it to be…Click on here to read the full text and check your reading comprehension!