In "The Lottery," Jackson differentiates her characters based on their feelings towards the lottery. Old Man Warner, for example, is characterised by his staunch defence of the lottery, an event in which he has taken part seventy-seven times. In contrast, Mr. Adams shows some opposition to the lottery when he mentions that some towns have already ended this practice. By the end of the story, however, Mr. Adams has rediscovered his support of the lottery: he is at the front of the crowd when Tessie is stoned.
Looking back, Jackson singles out Tessie Hutchinson from the moment of her introduction to the story. She is the only person who is late to the lottery, for instance, because she is so busy with household chores:
"Clean forgot what day it was," she said to Mrs. Delacroix, who stood next to her, and they both laughed softly. "Thought my old man was out back stacking wood."
In addition, she is the only one who questions the rules of the lottery, as shown by her protest to Mr. Summers:
"You didn't give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair!"
Portrayed as a social outcast, then, Tessie is the ideal candidate to 'win' the lottery.
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