Celebrating traditions are harmless, some are more common than others and more often than not, they have a point behind them, on the other hand more personal traditions are not as universal. What might be a special tradition to one person might mean the world to them, while a complete stranger sees it as pointless and insignificant. Either way both descriptions fit the definition of tradition, therefore there shouldn’t be a difference between the two… or should there? In many situations, traditions are truly harmless, but what if there was a cycle of tradition that did cause harm? A cycle that’s impossible to break, is it still considered an innocent tradition? That’s the same predicament that the villagers are in, in Shirley Jackson’s “The
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The story revolves around one village in the act of doing their tradition of ‘the lottery’, however there are multiple villages in this world. When word gets around that some villages are putting a stop to the lottery tradition, the villagers act in a negative way. “...Mr. Adams said to Old Man Warner...over in the north village they’re talking about getting rid of the lottery…” (Jackson 3). Followed by Old Man Warner’s response “Pack of crazy fools...listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them….there’s always been a lottery…” (Jackson 4). The villagers have grown so used to the tradition of the lottery, they believe that it is necessary for life to go on. The lottery has become a second nature to the villagers, every year they mindlessly perform the cruel act, that they call tradition. Just the very thought of ending the lottery, means that the world as they know it is changing and crumpling around them. The villagers frown upon the mere mention of change and by whatever means, make it a point to stress the continuation of the lottery tradition year, after year. Even when other villagers suggest the idea of ending the tradition, the majority of the village completely ignores them. The villagers can not quite seem to wrap this idea of change around in their heads, no matter how cruel the lottery gets, and who the odd person out is, suggesting change for
The story revolves around one village in the act of doing their tradition of ‘the lottery’, however there are multiple villages in this world. When word gets around that some villages are putting a stop to the lottery tradition, the villagers act in a negative way. “...Mr. Adams said to Old Man Warner...over in the north village they’re talking about getting rid of the lottery…” (Jackson 3). Followed by Old Man Warner’s response “Pack of crazy fools...listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them….there’s always been a lottery…” (Jackson 4). The villagers have grown so used to the tradition of the lottery, they believe that it is necessary for life to go on. The lottery has become a second nature to the villagers, every year they mindlessly perform the cruel act, that they call tradition. Just the very thought of ending the lottery, means that the world as they know it is changing and crumpling around them. The villagers frown upon the mere mention of change and by whatever means, make it a point to stress the continuation of the lottery tradition year, after year. Even when other villagers suggest the idea of ending the tradition, the majority of the village completely ignores them. The villagers can not quite seem to wrap this idea of change around in their heads, no matter how cruel the lottery gets, and who the odd person out is, suggesting change for