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Tessie Hutchinson
The unlucky loser of the lottery. Tessie draws the paper with the black mark on it and is stoned to death. She is excited about the lottery and fully willing to participate every year, but when her family’s name is drawn, she protests that the lottery isn’t fair. Tessie arrives at the village square late because she forgot what day it was.
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Bill Hutchinson
Tessie’s husband. Bill first draws the marked paper, but he picks a blank paper during the second drawing. He is fully willing to show everyone that his wife, Tessie, has drawn the marked paper.
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Davy Hutchinson
Tessie and Bill Hutchinson's son.
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Old Man Warner
The oldest man in the village. Old Man Warner has participated in seventy-seven lotteries. He condemns the young people in other villages who have stopped holding lotteries, believing that the lottery keeps people from returning to a barbaric state.
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Mr. Summers
The man who conducts the lottery. Mr. Summers prepares the slips of paper that go into the black box and calls the names of the people who draw the papers. The childless owner of a coal company, he is one of the village leaders.
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Mr. Harry Graves
The postmaster. Mr. Graves helps Mr. Summers prepare the papers for the lottery and assists him during the ritual.
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Bobby Martin
The younger son of the Martin family. At the beginning of the story, he eagerly gathers stones, setting an example for the other children arriving for the lottery.
Mrs. Dunbar
The wife of Clyde Dunbar, the only man in the village unable to attend the lottery due to a broken leg. Since her husband is absent, Mrs. Dunbar represents her family and draws a slip from the box.
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Mrs. Delacroix
A friend of Tessie’s who greets her when she arrives late to the lottery. She seems to particularly enjoy the lottery as she tries to convince Tessie to “be a good sport” when her family is selected and picks out a large rock that requires two hands to carry.
Mr. Steve Adams
The first person to draw a slip of paper from the black box. Both he and his wife seem somewhat skeptical of the lottery as they mention on multiple occasions that other villages are starting to abandon the practice, but he is still at the front when the stoning begins.
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Mr. Martin
One of the town’s heads of household. He has two sons, Baxter, the elder, and Bobby, the younger.
Clyde Dunbar
Mrs. Dunbar’s husband who is not present at the lottery. It is implied that, because he has a broken leg, he has been dismissed from participating in the lottery that year. Instead, his wife will draw for him and their family.
Horace Dunbar
Mr. and Mrs. Dunbar’s eldest son. Not yet a legal adult at 16 years old, he is not allowed to step forward to draw for his father or mother. Had he been 18, he would have been expected to take the responsibility of drawing for his father.
Mrs. Graves
Mr. Graves’ wife, who agrees with Mrs. Delacroix that despite the last lottery having taken place a year ago, it feels as if it’s only been a week. Their comments suggest that, despite their complicity in the lottery, it is a traumatic and memorable event that they dread.
Mr. Delacroix
Mrs. Delacroix’s husband, who selects the slip for their household. His sons help Bobby Martin prepare the rocks for the stoning.
Mrs. Adams
Mr. Adams’ wife, who participates in the conversation with Old Man Warner about other towns ending the practice of the lottery. Like her husband, she may harbor a personal hope that the lottery is terminated, but the discussion has no impact on the actual outcome of the ritual.
Nancy Hutchinson
Tessie and Bill Hutchinson’s teenage daughter, who is at risk of being stoned when her family name is drawn. Some of her friends vocalize that they hope she isn’t chosen, which is the most direct remark of dissent against the outcome of the lottery besides those from Tessie. Nancy beams when her slip is blank, her relief at surviving the ordeal overshadowing any fear she may have for her mother.
