Who are the protagonists?

Tessie Hutchinson is the story's protagonist, though this does not become clear until the story's conclusion. The reader first notices her as a housewife who is late to the gathering for the drawing. It is clear that she will become important because so many people take note of her arrival and because of the exchange she has with Mrs. Delacroix, whom she bids farewell with a tap on the arm as she moves to join her family.
When the Hutchinson family's name is drawn, they become the focus of the village's attention and could be considered, as a group, the story's protagonists. Tessie's panic is immediate, and she begins to try to negotiate, asking that her married daughter's family be included and protesting that her husband was hurried as he drew for them. She is reminded of the rules, and Mr. Hutchinson accepts that someone in their family will be the chosen one.
Tessie is set upon by the villagers at the end, and as the lottery's victim, she becomes the main figure of the story at its conclusion.