TheCoreArchetypeofTheLotteryabstract：shirleyjackson’sfamousworkthelotteryisanarchetypaltragedy,withsinasthecore.thisessayexplainssininthelotteryandanalyzesthestoryfromanarchetypalapproach,findingcollectiveviolenceisakindofsinwhichshouldbeextinctinmodernage.keywords：thelottery;sin;archetype;collectiveviolence中图分类号：i106文献标识码：a文章编号：1672-1578（2012)06-0005-03shirleyjackson’sfamousworkthelotterydeservesthenameoftragedymainlybecauseofsin.hadnotsinworked,mrs.hutchinsonwouldnotfaceherdeathandthevillagerswouldnotconductadisasterinperson.itfollowsthatsinisthecoreofthewholestoryandknittedthroughdifferentpartsofthework.asjacksonimpliedinthelottery,humanbeinghasthepotentialofconductingsin.hefearsitanditsconsequencesbutcannotgetridofit.hechoosesascapegoattoburdenhissin,wishingtogetforgiven.buttheprogramofchoosingalivinghumanscapegoatinevitablyleadstoamuchseverersin—collectiveviolence.inthisstory,jacksonelaboratedthepropositionintwofacets.humanbeingcannotevadesinbecauseofhisselfishness.inordertosurviveinaharshnaturalworldandgetsatisfiedinthesocializedworld,humanbeinghastobeselfish.otherwise,hewillmisstheopportunityandgettrappedinanunfavorablesituation.gradually,selfishnesspervadesthebiologicalgeneaswellasthesocialgeneandinfluenceshisthoughtandbehavior.villagers’words,attitudeandactionsintheprocessoftheriteillustrateselfishness.afterallthelivingandhealthyfolkscametothesquareandtheremainsoftheritualandprocedureshadbeendone,thelotteryoflifeimportanceformallybegan.whenthehostmr.summerswasdeclaringtherulesofthescapegoat-choosinggame,villagers“onlyhalflistenedtothedirections”(jackson)becausetheywereverymuchfamiliarwiththeregulations.andthegreatertheterrorandfearwere,themoreeagerlythecandidateswishedsomeoneelsetohavetheluck.inotherwords,thenervousnesscouldbeseenasthesymptomofselfishness.generallyspeaking,humanbeingexposeshimselffullyandtrulyinimminentdanger.werehelovingandkind,hewouldfacedeathnoblyanddogoodtoothersforthelasttime.butwereheselfishandviciousinnature,hewouldfear