Jackson describes this through a redundant question. She states, “Although Mr. Summers and everyone else in the village knew the answer perfectly well, it was the lottery official's job to formally ask such questions” (3). The villagers must be of a certain age to get their names out of the box. Jackson explains that everyone is aware of this, but it's tradition to ask the question. Clearly, there is no logic in their thinking. They are unable to think about the consequences, because they are anxious about an unjust death that arises from this tradition. In addition to the impractical matter, an official swearing-in must take place. The story states, “There was an actual swearing in of Mr. Summers by the postmaster, as lottery official” (2). Repeatedly, the urge to resist the fear of ignoring a ritual allows them to distract themselves from the outcome. Symbolically, this distraction represents an option to escape stress. Distraction allows you to briefly forget the destruction caused by following tradition. Furthermore, due to fear, the villagers cannot think logically about how to prevent the madness. Completing tasks at a faster pace is another way to distract humans. After a couple of villagers draw their names, Mr. Summers urges them to go faster. He says, “Okay folks. Let's finish quickly” (7). Doing things faster helps them distract themselves. The speed of the lottery temporarily lets them escape the nightmare of a painful death. One thing that does not escape them is the use of stones for public murders. The narrator explains, “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use the stones” (7). Towards the end, readers can clearly see how irrational the villagers are. One piece