Comfornity

1. Conformity plays a huge role in this story. The people in the village blindly follow the customs of the ritual, for the most part, without question. The black box that is used to draw the names is literally falling apart, but when asked if it should be replaced, the people never get around to it. It is what has always been used, and the villagers do not feel they should change it.

The children are so conditioned to the normalcy of the tradition, that they are able to continue their games while the ritual stoning is being carried out.Mr. Graves and Joe Summers are the main leaders in keeping this tradition alive, and never question the validity or humanity of the ritual.

Mr. Adams seems to question the practice, when he mentions that some villages are proposing stopping the lottery. Mrs. Adams asserts that some villages already have. But it is Tessie, who is the symbol of rebellion.

Tessie is late to the lottery, and tells them she forgot the day. She then protests the way the drawing s are held, stating that is is unfair that she , or any wife, must draw with her husband's family.

When she is the unlucky "winner", her husband is not sympathetic, and as the stoning is carried out, Tessie asserts her rebellious cry, "It isn't fair, it isn't right".

Tessie was correct; the lottery wasn't fair. Death wasn't fair, especially