Exposition To The Lottery By D.H. Lawrence

Exposition The black box and the tradition of the lottery were born a long time ago. It happened just months after big nuclear war and the centuries before this story took place. This war was so big and destructive that it was referred as The War. The War started in 2075 A.D. nobody can remember who started the war, but later it involved Russia, United States, Canada, China, Japan, France, England, Balkan and Middle East countries. It wiped out almost all human population, destroyed or poisoned majority of the land, and completely changed the look of the Earth. Majority of people who survived nuclear explosions, died in the first month. Radiation was extremely strong in some areas, such as Sevastopol, New York, San Francisco, Marcel, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Birmingham. In others it was significantly weaker. This story took place one of these areas. It happens in the small town called Churchill in southern California in 2434 A.D.

Lottery Winners Barbara and Michael Ayres

Lottery_Rena

CALIFORNIA 1941-44 LICENSE PLATE WITH TABS

or year two hundred fifty nine of survival. It was left almost unaffected by the radiation, but rain poisoned the land and the cities were all blown down by very strong winds. Some people died in the buildings, some were lifted up 300 meters and then they fell down. Some basements and bomb shelter, where people were hiding were covered by meters of the cement and steel, but some survived.

There were only three hundred thousand out of four billion people were left on planet Earth. And even those were starving and dying because of food contaminated by the radiation. And even at the hardest moments there was no crime at all. People were poor, angry at their own lives, and trying to survive. There was no time for crime.

In California, as well as throughout the whole North America or the part that was left after nuclear strikes, people were mostly Christian. So, seven months after the war was over Christian Church of Survival was created. But its values were far from those that normal church would have. It was extremely aggressive and extremist. New church has adapted to the new times. Eventually, the church started to play the role of the superior power as it was in medieval age. New ritual was introduced, because there was not enough food for everyone, to please the God, and to give people a chance to release their anger. Soon, everyone was forced to follow the new ritual. The ritual was called the Lottery. The Lottery was conducted twice a year, on June 27th and January 19th. The Lottery was a very dark ritual. During those days everyone had to participate in the lottery, when one person was chosen. That person was put on a wooden cross, and others were throwing stones at him. The crosses were made by a man of the New Church who had amnesia after a stone from a building hit him in his head. He didn't remember anything before that. So, people called him Mr. Delacroix, maker "of the Cross". Later, when land became less poisoned and quality of life substantially increased, the need for the Lottery decreased, and now it was held only on June 27th, and the cross was no used anymore, as Mr. Delacroix died and nobody did continue the tradition.

The tradition of the Lottery will end in 2457 A.D. when everyone will see no need in it. Same year four people will mysteriously disappear from Churchill. Those four were Mr. Summers, Mr. Graves, Mrs. Graves and Mrs. Delacroix. Nobody ever saw them again.

Grant Ave. in Chinatown, San Francisco.

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Graves