Shirley Jackson's Lottery is a story of a village that lacks the courage to rid itself of a tradition that harms people within its community every year. A black box is used to design a sheet that will indicate which family will be stoned that year. The black box symbolizes a deadly black hole that the villagers are occupying because they are afraid of change and following a tradition that other towns have already discarded. Overall, The Lottery reflects a quote from Thoreau, who expresses the opinion that many people act robotically. Communities tend to act mechanically by being powerless against the government and having no views or thoughts of their own that can help them change and develop as individuals. The lack of power is emphasized throughout The Lottery, which expresses Thoreau's point of view about how people have no exercise." People don't think for themselves, they simply follow what the government or upper class tells them. Shirley Jackson explains in her story that the people of the village lack power and courage. When a new generation thought of putting an end to a tradition that had existed for a long time, those people were seen as a “bunch of foolish old men.” , being the oldest person in the village, he ignored the ideas of change in the village, showing that he has the power to control whether the tradition is alive or replaced. He seems to have control over the lives of the people in the village because they let a tradition, whose rituals they have "forgotten", control who is stoned rather than forcefully rebel against community norms. Many people focus on maintaining and sustaining moments and traditions rather than allowing their experiences to help them g..... . middle of paper ...... ernment because he is but as you continue to read carefully, he reveals his views on the government and the lives of all the men of the nation. While you might think the tradition is horrible, the city doesn't. They see it as something that brings them together on one day of the year. People live in fear of this tradition because they don't want to be chosen. It seems like people can't think for themselves and are afraid of change. People don't know who started the tradition nor why it was started in the first place. They never talk about the previous winners and towards the end we still don't know what happens to the Hutchinson family. The lack of freedom in this story is what Thoreau fights for in Civil Disobedience. It's hard to win that battle when society only knows one way and is constantly controlled by the people in power.