The Lottery is the annual stoning of a member of the town who wins (308-15). Children gather stones and await the excision of the family lucky enough to unfortunately pull a dot from the historically ancient lottery box. As some adults converse about trivial things, such as, how fast time flies between each execution. While others talk about the cancellation of the lottery in other towns and are told that the lotterys" cancellation is the talk of "foolish young folks" (308-12). Furthermore, people are shown how disobedience itself can result in the consequences of being obedient. In "The Lottery" Mrs. Hutchinson shows up to the yearly event late claiming to have forgotten the date and further justifies her tardiness as having to get her kitchen clean. Unfortunately she pulls the dot and is stoned (310-15). Out of respect for the majority, people often find themselves being obedient to acts they find morally unjustified. Jackson has given a good example of how easily people give in to groups because of their traditions and their fear of rejection, " The children had stones already and someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles" (Lessing 315).
Unknowingly, the way in which people were raised plays a major part in their obedience and disobedience. Most parents instill in their children obedience to both authority and majority. For example, most individuals were taught to obey their parents, teachers, police and etc. Sometimes vacations and places to eat out were decided in a group with the majority winning. Psychoanalyst and philosopher Erich Fromm writes that "For centuries kings and priests, feudal lords, industrial bosses and parents have insisted that obedience is a virtue and disobedience is a vice" (302). Fear of the consequences people were taught to avoid making it difficult for one to disobey, .
It is so easy for people to comply with rules set by authority, because it takes away the responsibility if the action and establishes a possible position in the authority's organization.
