The danger of traditions Free Essay Example, 1000 words

The man they have chosen for the lottery is pathetic and the story also talks about children collecting stones in the beginning. These preparations seem quaint. These details and preparations show how Jackson depicted the lottery seems so real and awaited. Most readers might believe that traditions and rituals take place in order to unite the town people and families and create links to tie the future generations with the past. Jackson’s story brings a new aspect to the celebration of traditions. There are many traditions in the world that are being followed and trusted blindly but these story shows how this unawareness can actually end up being dangerous for people. The story shows that even though the villagers do not know the origin of this tradition nor do they know any other detail, but still they follow it blindly. They are trying to preserve a tradition which is violent and dangerous. Even if the villagers think of changing or ending the lottery tradition, the old man in village, Warner, does not let them and tells them that they might return to the primitive times if they finished the lottery tradition. We will write a custom essay sample on The danger of traditions or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The villagers have thus built a blind trust and faith in this and carry it out every year with every member of the village involved. They have allowed this violent murder to be a part of their ritual. There is no one forcing them to carry out the lottery but they are so blind that they have become powerless towards any change, even the shabby black box as it says â€Å"The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago, and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born† (Kennedy & Dana 262). The villagers are so blind in their tradition that they easily murder someone by stoning them and return back to their ordinary lives. They do not even know the reason why they are doing this instead of that it’s a tradition and has to be fulfilled no matter what. No one stops them and asks them that why they are committing this murder, what is the logic, sup erstition or motive behind it. For them, the justification lies wholly in the fact that this is a tradition that has been going on since generations. The ways the villagers blindly follow it make it seem like an historical event rather than that of unbelievable cruelty. Running of the bulls is a famous tradition which takes place in Pamplona, Spain every year. Bull fighting is popular in many other cities around the world, but the running of the bulls takes place in Spain only.