Louise inwardly exalts in the freedom brought by her husband's death. 

She is overjoyed thinking of the life "she would live for herself." But alas he is alive. Her freedom is taken and the tragedy of that loss kills her.

"It was the terrible and fascinating reality of my disaster; it was the way things happened."

I can definitely relate to her dramatic reaction after my first love and first heartbreak.

A boy, bored with his life, longs for the girl next door. After many hiccups, he finally makes it to his exotic bazaar only to face utter disappointment. The bazaar is closing, he finds no gift (not that he had enough money for one), and it is not exotic in the least.

The boy's anguish not only from failing to procure a gift for his crush, but probably also from a realization that the crush will amount to nothing as well.

When she is snubbed by some younger concert-goers, she hurries home, and cries. Perhaps in fear that in her age she no longer has a role to play.

The burning of Martha's letters and pictures symbolizes his turning away from youth and any preoccupation he had with a world outside War.

The picture below is of The Tiger Force Soldiers circa 1968. A group of young men who undoubtedly faced similar tragedies, forced to grow up way too soon.

Though residents hold great authority to adhering to tradition, there is no consistency to what rules are followed and which are discarded. I find it unsettling, with the importance they tie to the lottery and the continuance of civilization, that there is no proper place the black box is stored after each lottery; in fact, they seem to just throw it anywhere until the next year. The inevitable outcome, seems to be the part of the ritual the town truly holds dear.

"Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered the stones."

The picture below is from The Hunger Games. The drawing for district tribute mirrors themes from "The Lottery".

"Better to be born lucky than rich. If you're rich, you may lose your money. But if you're lucky, you will always get more money." 

This story is tragic and heart-breaking. Paul, a young child, resorts to gambling to try to gain his mothers love and provide her happiness. Right before his death, Paul insists to his mother he is lucky, whom ignores his plea and offers him no comfort. Paul's death from brain fever, created from stress, lack of sleep, and obsession, was a result of riding his rocking-horse until he knew the name of the winning horse.

The poem is written about Hayden's adoptive father. His mother, described often as selfish and immature, turned over Hayden's care to her neighbors. It is also one of many written in remorse for his loss.

However, one can neither ignore the repeated presence of the goat-footed balloonman; nor, refrain from questioning the intentions of a character described so nefariously.

Throughout the poem, I consistently find support for both the balevolent and malevolent theories. However, unable to completely ignore various forebodings, I settled for a compromise. Perhaps the father is a little rough, perhaps the young boy is nervous, maybe even afraid; nevertheless, the poem's final lines leave the reader certain that the little boy loves his father dearly.

You can listen to Joy sing "Morning Song" on this website: http://www.allmusic.com/song/morning-song-mt0034655720

Nevertheless, the body image problems, generated by mainstream media and our society as a whole, are shameful. As this trend is likely to continue, it is important for mothers to empower their daughters, strengthening them with pride and confidence.