They are very good odds. And I know that my scientific brain believes them, if not my panic-ridden, maternal one. Those odds should have made a difference to my reaction. I should have been able to take the diagnosis calmly, intelligently, reflectively. But that would be to assign rationality to this phenomenon. The trouble with abject fear - with searing, lurid metaphor - is that it is not rational. And the myths that spring out of fear that deep are certainly not. They are the stuff of nightmares. They are tenacious. Alanna Mitchell
About This Quote

Through her short story, “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson famously depicted the nightmare of American innocence. The story is about a small town in New England where the children in the community are chosen for an annual lottery. As the town has to pay in order to continue playing this game, they all must put in their own money. Many people believe that Shirley Jackson was trying to portray America in a negative light.

Her intention was not to portray Americans in a negative light but her intention was to show how people can fall victim to fear when they are being forced to do something against their will. The story ends with the statement that it is better not to be picked than to be picked.

Source: Malignant Metaphor: Confronting Cancer Myths

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