. The lottery is administrated by the same civic leader who conducts the square dances and the Halloween program--innocent social activities intended the seal the community's togetherness. As much as they can without the facing the reality of what they are doing, the members of the community attempt to hold on to the ritual aspects of a tradition they no longer really remember. The tradition has become so ingrained that the community even reveres the old box from which names were drawn, generating rumors that the tradition remained intact because the new box was made with some pieces from the old box.
Nonetheless, as with many traditions whose performance has become largely ceremonial, the actual purpose of the lottery remains unclear. Old Man Warner says of the communities that have abandoned the lottery: "Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live that way for a while. Used to be a saying about `Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery." For Old Man Warner, the continued performance of the ceremony of the lottery represents both a recognition of one's history and heritage as well as a commitment to progress. He is so committed to the tradition of the lottery that he is unable to recognize the contradiction in his own words. How does the stoning of a member of the community represent progress from when we were "living in caves"? How does it affect each community member's work ethic? Is it really some sort of sacrifice to ensure a good harvest? Isn't the very idea of sacrifice a sign of the primitive rather than the progressive? These are the questions Old Man Warner's blind adherence to the tradition represents. Yet these are q
...