The lottery of Babylon is a short story written by Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges. Some key questions about this story are:
When was the story written?
The lottery of Babylon was first published in 1941 as part of Borges’ short story collection The Garden of Forking Paths. Borges wrote the story in the 1930s or 1940s.
When is the story set?
The exact time period when the events of the lottery of Babylon take place is unclear. However, based on details in the story, such as references to “a century after the founding of Rome” and “mirrors of metal” we can infer that the setting is meant to be ancient Babylon during the height of its glory as an empire.
What is the central idea or theme of the story?
A key theme of the lottery of Babylon is fate, chance, and how humans try to control uncertainty through rituals like lotteries. The story explores philosophical questions about free will versus determinism. It also looks at how governments and institutions like religion can use rituals and chance to exert control over people.
What happens in the story?
The story describes the evolution of the lottery in the ancient city of Babylon. It began as a simple game but over time became an all-encompassing institution used by the rulers to mete out random punishments and rewards as a form of control. The lottery is secretive and ominous. People participate in hopes of favor or fear of retribution from unknown forces that administer justice arbitrarily through the drawing of lots.
When did Jorge Luis Borges live and write?
Jorge Luis Borges was born in 1899 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He published his first book of poems in 1923. Borges wrote prolifically during the 1920s and 1930s, publishing short story collections, essays, and poems. His most well-known works, including The Garden of Forking Paths which includes The Lottery in Babylon, were published starting in the 1940s. Borges continued writing up until his death in 1986 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Conclusion
In summary, the key facts about when The Lottery in Babylon was written are:
- Author: Jorge Luis Borges
- Year first published: 1941
- Approximate period Borges wrote the story: 1930s or 1940s
- Larger collection: The Garden of Forking Paths
- Borges’ lifetime: 1899-1986
The story is set in ancient Babylon at an unspecified time during the empire’s height. The themes explore fate, chance, free will and control through the lens of an ominous, all-encompassing lottery system.
Analysis of Key Events in the Story
Here is an analysis of some of the major plot points in The Lottery in Babylon:
The lottery starts as a simple game
The lottery begins innocently as a game played by groups of individuals who purchase tickets to win prizes. It is seen as a form of entertainment and diversion.
The lottery expands in scope
Over time, the lottery grows to encompass more people and aspects of life in Babylon. More prizes are offered. The wealthy start manipulating the outcomes. The government takes over administering the lottery.
The lottery incorporates random punishments
In addition to prizes, the lottery introduces random punishments, justified as fate. Crimes go unpunished directly and are instead dealt with through the drawing of lots.
The lottery becomes an authoritative, mystical institution
The lottery evolves into a mysterious, ominous system run by the “Company” in conjunction with Babylon’s rulers. It is used to keep the population fearful and compliant through arbitrary justice.
The lottery is intertwined with religion
Temples of the gods work with the Company to administer the lottery. The drawing of lots to determine fates is presented as the will of the gods. This grants the lottery divine authority.
The ultimate fate of most citizens is to be punished by the lottery
As the Company increases the number of negative outcomes, the story suggests that the likelihood of meeting with an unpleasant fate through the lottery becomes quite high for the average inhabitant of Babylon.
Key Quotes
Here are some important excerpts from the story:
Like all men of Babylon, I have been proconsul; like all, I have been a slave. I have known omnipotence, ignominy, imprisonment.
I came to see myself as a mere thing or, at most, as part of a thing: the inexorable workings of chance.
Babylon is nothing but an infinite game of chance.
A merciless and invisible divinity vomits out chance, administered by the Company, and in the course of incoherent years all things happen to all men.
Critical Analysis
Here is some critical analysis of The Lottery in Babylon’s major themes:
Theme 1: The arbitrary nature of fate and injustice
The lottery represents the arbitrary nature of fate and the injustice that results. Punishments and rewards are delivered randomly, not based on merit. Citizens are subject to the whims of chance, unable to control or predict their destiny.
Theme 2: The attempt to impose order through rituals
The lottery shows how humans try to grasp at feeling in control by imposing rituals, systems, and institutions to dictate outcomes. Even though the drawing of lots is random, its codification into an elaborate ceremony gives it the illusion of order and justice.
Theme 3: The use of fear and mysticism to control the populace
The shrouding of the lottery system in secrecy, mystical trappings, and fear allows Babylon’s rulers to control citizens through uncertainty and superstition. The population’s anxiety about unknown outcomes manipulates them psychologically.
Analysis of Key Characters
Here is an analysis of the main characters:
The Narrator
The unnamed narrator represents the average citizen of Babylon. His perspectives reveal how the lottery impacts the daily lives and mindsets of the population.
The Company
The Company operates the lottery alongside Babylon’s government. Its mysterious administrators represent the sinister, unknowable forces that control citizens’ fates.
The Gods
The gods are used as part of the mysticism surrounding the lottery. Tying the arbitrary outcomes to divine will makes the lottery seem fated and unquestionable.
Significance of the Ending
The ending suggests most people inevitably face an unpleasant fate in spite of, or even because of, the lottery and its random nature. The narrator’s resigned anticipation of his own impending misfortune reveals the psychological grip the lottery has on the populace through uncertainty.
Discussion Questions
Here are some discussion questions about The Lottery in Babylon:
- How do the story’s themes about fate and chance relate to philosophical questions about free will versus determinism?
- What critiques of government and religion are suggested through the lottery system?
- How do people today try to assert control over chance and fate in their own lives?
- Is the existence of lotteries and gambling driven by similar psychology as the lottery of Babylon?
- Why do you think the Company and the state tied the arbitrary outcomes of the lottery to “divine will”?
Historical Background
Understanding the real history of ancient Babylon provides useful context for the themes and events of the story:
Babylon was a real ancient empire
Babylon was a city-state in Mesopotamia that grew into the capital of the Babylonian Empire around 1800 BCE. The city features prominently in ancient texts like the Bible.
Babylon was viewed as wealthy, powerful, but corrupt
At its peak around 700-500 BCE, the Babylon Empire controlled a vast territory and accumulated great wealth. But it was also seen as a symbol of decadence and corruption in biblical sources.
The hanging gardens of Babylon were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world
Babylon was the purported home of the legendary hanging gardens, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This speaks to the empire’s advanced engineering capabilities.
Babylon was a center of culture and religion
Ancient Babylon was an influential center of religion, science, and culture. The Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest legal codes, originated there.
The city declined after conquest by the Persians and Alexander the Great
Babylon went into decline after it was conquered by Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE. It later fell under the control of Alexander the Great before fading in importance after his death.
Key Facts and Stats in Table Format
Here are some key details about the story presented in a table:
| Author | Jorge Luis Borges |
|---|---|
| Year first published | 1941 |
| Collection | The Garden of Forking Paths |
| Setting | Ancient city of Babylon |
| Key themes | Fate, chance, control |
| Main characters | The narrator, the Company, the gods |
| Historical context | Babylon was a real ancient empire in Mesopotamia from ~1800 BCE to 539 BCE |
Diagrams of Key Concepts
Here are two diagrams to visualize some important concepts from the story:
Evolution of the Lottery
This diagram shows how the lottery changed over time:
|
→ |
|
→ |
|
Control Through Uncertainty
This diagram shows how uncertainty was used as a control mechanism:
| Random, unpredictable lottery outcomes → | Fear of unknown punishment or hope for unknown prize → | Psychological anxiety and compliance from citizens → | Increased control and power for rulers and Company |
Compare and Contrast to Another Work: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Shirley Jackson’s 1948 short story The Lottery also centers around a sinister lottery ritual. Here is a brief compare/contrast analysis:
Similarities
- Both involve a lottery with dark, unpredictable outcomes
- The lottery is an important civic ritual
- The populace is compliant despite unease
Differences
- Jackson’s takes place in a 20th century village, Borges’ in ancient Babylon
- Jackson’s lottery ends in death by stoning, Borges’ has varied punishments
- Borges’ incorporates psychological control, Jackson’s focuses on social conformity
While the two stories take place in very different settings, they explore similar themes related to societal compliance in the face of unjust traditions.
Potential Essay Topics
Here are some possible essay topics about The Lottery in Babylon:
- How does the story explore the human struggle between free will and determinism?
- Analyze how rituals and institutions allow individuals to avoid responsibility.
- Discuss the allure and dangers of attempting to control the uncontrollable.
- Compare the lottery’s effects on Babylon to modern forms of social control.
- Explain how fear and superstition are used by those in power to manipulate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Lottery in Babylon is a philosophical short story that uses the allegory of a deadly lottery to explore complex themes related to chance, fate, control and the human condition. Written in the 1940s by Jorge Luis Borges, it uses an imaginative depiction of ancient Babylon to provide a thought-provoking critique about the capriciousness of existence. The story remains resonant today in prompting reflection about life’s unpredictability and society’s pursuit of order.