What would you do if you won the lottery?
The post explores the complex emotions surrounding lottery winnings through Premchand’s story “Lottery.” It portrays the human yearning for easy money. It shows how the promise of a jackpot can strain relationships. This promise can also lead to greed and suspicion. The protagonist, Vikram, and his friends experience great anticipation, only to find that no one won except a rare foreigner. This narrative highlights the deceptive allure of lotteries, often resulting in disappointment and social harm. The government has restricted lotteries in India, acknowledging their negative societal impact. Ultimately, the post highlights how crucial hard-earned money is. It also illustrates how vulnerable human desires are when faced with sudden wealth.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- The article explores the emotional complexities surrounding Lottery winnings through Premchand’s story ‘Lottery.’
- It highlights how the allure of easy money strains relationships and can lead to greed and suspicion.
- Vikram and his friends expect winning but ultimately find out no one won except a rare foreigner.
- The government in India has restricted lotteries due to their negative societal impacts, acknowledging the harm they cause.
- Finally, the article emphasizes the value of hard-earned money versus the pitfalls of sudden wealth.
Introduction
Winning a lottery has been a dream for many. A legal form of gambling was a usual feature in society, run by the governments for decades. It ruined the lives of many families and the futures of many young people. The promise of a “hefty prize” attracted many people. They splurged a major part of their earnings on lottery tickets.
A story by Premchand
A story titled “Lottery” was written by the famous storyteller Munshi Premchand. It depicts the ordeal faced by ticket purchasers and captures their frustration very well. The story is about human greed, lust, fake religious affiliations and hypocrisy. The story starts by narrating the human wish to get a hefty amount. It focuses on a young man named Vikram. He, along with his unnamed friend, tries to buy a lottery ticket. They arranged money by selling their old books.
(1) Labyrinthine alleys
The story passes through labyrinthine alleys of human psychology and their suspicious attitude towards their family members and friends. Those who used to be bosom were seen in commotion over the distribution of imaginary prize money from lottery tickets. Ridiculously, tickets were purchased by every member. Ironically, each ticket holder was overoptimistic about their success. They went overboard to win the prize. Prakash visited Jakkar Baba and regarded the physical damage as Baba’s blessings.
(2) Lure of easy money
The lure of easy money of prize was compelling to the extent that the relationships were at stake. Relationships of Vikram and his school teacher friend was shadowed by suspicion and animosity. The innocent joke of Vikram was taken seriously by the school teacher. He insisted on legal documentation of the mutual contract. The teacher was so suspicious that he was ready for a rough written contract.
(3) The result
The final day arrived when the results were to be announced. People congregate at the postoffice. In his best dress, Vikram was also prepared. He went to the postoffice. He returned with a bubbly smile on his face. Everybody was curious. After a brief suspicion, he divulged that the whole of India swept. None won the prize except for a Habshi from America!
(4) Human emotions
The story touches a kaleidoscope of emotions: greed, lust, suspicion, fake idealism and hollow religious feelings. It exposes the hollowness of relationships and everything that a mortal world exhibits about money and material things. This hollowness is more pronounced when the money is easy, like winnings from a lottery.
Prize
The lottery was controlled by the government. It was a type of gambling. Ticket holders used to live in an illusion after splurging a handsome amount of their hard-earned money on tickets. They felt dejected after the results were announced. It adversely affected many families. The winner had to cough up about thirty per cent of the prize money as taxes. If someone wins one hundred thousand rupees, they could get barely seventy thousand rupees.
Lottery is banned
In India, the lottery is not common. In some provinces like Uttar Pradesh, it has been banned by the “Uttar Pradesh Unauthorised Lottery (Prevention) Act, 1995.(The Act). It is an Act “to prohibit the promotion and conduct of all lotteries except lotteries organised by the Government of India or the Government of a state or of a Union Territory in Uttar Pradesh and to provide for matters connected therewith or ancillary thereto“.
(1) Harmful
Anything that promotes or encourages easy money is harmful to society for it nourishes lethargy and inaction. People must also realise that though money is important for proper sustainence it is not ultimate. It has a limitation. Excessive money leads to debauchery and flab accumulated body ineffective in protecting itself. Hard-earned money tastes sweet. It gives a sense of elation, self-satisfaction and confidence. The vicious trend was curbed by the government by controlling betting and lottery.
(2) Easy Money
People tend to splurge easy money mindlessly because of its uncertainty. The “prize” used to come with a heavy price. It would volatilise the way it had come. It doesn’t give satisfaction but repentance.
(3) Haphazard use
A jackpot is sudden. Generally, the receiver doesn’t know about it. The sudden gush of money without doing much work or efforts, leave people in a fix. They don’t know what to do with this money. In a huff and puff, they plan the splurge. An analogous situation occurs in game shows. When asked about what they would do with the winning amount, most people find it difficult to answer properly.
(4) How to spend
Deciding about money received in a lottery is difficult. People may want money for various reasons. These include treatment of their loved ones and buying or constructing their dream house. They give first preference to these priorities. For a moderate family with a tight budget, a shower of easy money bewilders them. Some of them had never seen such a huge amount in their life. They prefer to save it for future exigencies like children’s education and their marriage et cetera.
An average person’s dream
An average person doesn’t have big dreams. The sense of ownership is their biggest dream. In fast changing world, material things are insidiously creeping in. Things that till recently, were not necessary are gaining importance and are becoming a necessity. Cars, refrigerators, TVs, Computers et cetera were once considered luxury have now become part of life. It is impossible to think of life without them. They are now usual, so dreaming about them is out of bounds.
(1) Fulfilling dreams
For an average family foreign tour, an aeroplane journey and staying in hotels are still a status symbol. They long to experience these things but can’t because of several reasons, particularly due to financial constraints. In case of a sudden hefty income, they try to fulfil their suppressed desires. They try to plan to go to foreign places and boast about their experience before others, especially among their relatives.
(2) Enjoyments
A few people don’t bother about the money that came suddenly. They take it easy and splurge it the way they want. This includes enjoying lavish food in five-star hotels. They spend time sitting idly, sipping their favourite drink along a jetty and watching the setting sun. With good food, they try to experience life differently, realising the stark reality. They don’t bother about the swift waning of easy money. It becomes a way of experiencing things differently, which couldn’t have been possible normally.
In the end
Everyone has their own choice and their way of life. The personal choices are different. This is the diversity which gives colour to life. The average people, having limited options and means have their wishes small and limited wishes. Their life is full of struggles. Thinking of charity is beyond their reach. They try to fulfil their wishes and needs first. Other things can wait. Their wishes, dreams, and aspirations are small. They aim to fulfil these dreams. This happens if they get a lump sum of easy money. It could be either by lottery or by winning prize money.
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