Jackson describes this through a redundant question. She states, “Even though Mr. Summers and everyone else in the village knew the answer perfectly well, it was the job of the lottery official to formally ask such questions” (3). Villagers must be of a certain age to draw their name from the box. Jackson explains that everyone is aware of it, but that it is a tradition to ask the question. Clearly, there is no logic to their thinking. They are unable to think about the consequences, because they worry about an unjust death brought about by this tradition. In addition to this inconvenient matter, there is a formal swearing-in that must take place. The story states: "Mr. Summers was duly sworn in by the postmaster, as an official of the lottery" (2). Many times, the need to resist the fear of rejecting a ritual allows them to become distracted from the outcome. Symbolically, this distraction represents an option to escape stress. Distraction allows us to forget for a short time the destruction caused by respecting tradition. Additionally, because of fear, the villagers cannot slow down to think logically about how to prevent madness. Completing activities more quickly is another way humans get distracted. After a few villagers' names are drawn, Mr. Summers urges them to move faster. He said, “Very well, friends. Let’s finish quickly” (7). Doing things faster helps them distract themselves. The speed of the lottery temporarily lets the nightmare of painful death escape. One thing that is not lost on them is the use of stones in public murders. The narrator explains, “Even though the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones” (7). Towards the end, readers can clearly see how irrational the villagers are. A piece