The Perils Of Indifference(The Opposite of Love)

The Apathy of Society

The ending of "The Lottery" is shocking for most readers. The graphic violence of the stoning seems completely bizarre for the members of a community that at first appeared so "normal" and passive because normal people usually don't stone other people to death. Sacrifice in other cultures might be/have been common for them, but as North Americans sacrifice has never been a way of life and is completly ludacris. To even consider stoning someone in our culture is completly rediculous. Elie's speech is about critically thinking about our actions and the actions of our leaders, and the way our actions can effect ourselves and others. The community in "The Lottery" without thinking twice of their actions blindly follow tradition instead of sensability and continue to stone one of their community members to death. Elie warns people of blindly following in his speech while the members of the community in "The Lottery" do exactly what he warns people not to do and they willingly stone a community member to death without thinking about it just because it's a tradition to the community.