Is the short story the lottery hyperbole?

One would like to say so, but every attempt is made (in the story) to suggest a degradement from nobler past. The story is 'in similitude' to the story found in Exodus where the Israelite select and stone to death one of their own to 'place blame' for a failed battle. So the story does have an actual historical precept. This alone tends to suggest that the accusation of hyperbola is not to be used as an excuse but that this is real human nature and should be treated as such. Curious to note that when the story was first published in the New Yorker it caused an uproar, considerable mail and canceled subscriptions. This usually doesn't happen when a story can be discounted as hyperbola. Clearly it hit 'close to the mark'.