Significance of Tradition

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Significance of Traditions
The ancient societies were bound by cultural traditions which they had to abide by. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is one of the short stories whose storyline relies on the observance of the cultural traditions. The town from which the story is set has always had an annual ritual which is referred to as the lottery. Ursula K. Le Guin’s story, “The ones who walk away from Omelas” also has a similar connotation to the observance of cultural traditions among the ancient societies. Guin narrates the story of the city of Omelas where the happiness of the dwellers was dependent on the suffering of a young child who was locked up in a cage. This essay explores the significance of traditions in both the “Lottery” and “The ones who walk away from Omelas.”
Cultural rituals in most ancient societies date back to the period before Christ. Some communities have managed to cling to these traditions till date. Jackson’s “The Lottery” narrates how a particular small town used to conduct the annual lottery ritual. Everyone was supposed to attend the ceremony was started. The fact that there was even a precise date, 27th of June, when the ceremony was supposed to take place shows that it was a renowned ritual and it could not be ignored. Old Man Warner warns the town against going against the traditions of their forefathers. Mr. Summers, the chief organizer of the lottery, has to consult before making any decisions and changes regarding the manner in which the function should be carried out.

Other towns in Jackson’s short story were experiencing a myriad of problems and calamities, and the dwellers believed that this could only be attributed to their ignorance. Majority of the neighboring towns had already abandoned these traditions on claims that they are archaic. However, the wrath of their forefathers seems to have befallen them because all forms of troubles have set in their town. The Old Man Warner asserts that in other cities, there was “nothing but trouble” (Kennedy and Gioia 251). Although everyone in the town knew that the lottery had a tragic ending, they still attended the ritual with the hopes of appeasing their ancestors. Someone had to die each year to save the lives of others in the society. However, during the day of the narration, Tessie was unlucky because she picked the piece of paper with a black dot on it. No one including his husband and children would save her from the misery of being stoned to death. The death of Tessie was a sacrifice to the ancestors and a guarantee to another fruitful year without pain and suffering.
Guin’s town of Omela seems to have a happy and undisturbed life, but there still uphold some of the city’s ancient customs and traditions. The happiness of the dwellers of Omelas was dependent on the suffering of a young child who had been locked in a tiny room and under filthy conditions. Although many people acknowledged that the whole scene was displeasing and disheartening, there is little that they could do to bring it to a halt. In fact, those who felt offended by the obscene scene of the locked child had either an option of living in denial or leaving Omelas for another city. The traditions had already placed restrictions that no one should flee the young child for whatever reason they had. The people of Omelas believed that fleeing the caged boy symbolizes welcoming trouble in the town.
A newborn baby is considered an innocent being because he/she is yet to commit any fouls. In the ancient societies, young children were offered to the ancestors and the gods as sacrifices. The same reciprocates in Guin’s short story where a young child is used as a scapegoat to cover up the atrocities of the entire city. Although the city of Omelas may be perceived as a perfect city, its ability to thrive and flourish dependent on the torture of the caged kid. The tradition of forcing the young kid to suffer in the quest to cleanse the sins of the entire society is a barbaric belief. To aggravate the situation, Guin narrates that every teenager at the age of 13-14 years has to be taken to see the young child in the locked small room. The most disheartening part is the fact that they have to accept “the terrible justice of reality” and move on (Kennedy and Gioia. 249).
Conclusively, it is evident that traditions play a vital role in dictating the customs and beliefs of the society. Most of the modern day traditions have been passed from one generation to another. Although some of them are archaic and barbaric, some communities will have to abide by them with the sole intention of respecting the will and the demands of the ancestors. In Jackson’s story, “The Lottery” the town dwellers have to stone one individual in an annual ritual for the city’s survival. The same case applies to Guin’s town of Omelas where the happiness of the city dwellers depends on the suffering and torture of a young child who has been locked in a small room. Although the inhabitants of these two towns understand that stoning an innocent soul to death and locking a young child is uncouth, they had no option since they had to abide by the traditions set and initiated by the forefathers.
Works Cited
Kennedy, X. J., and Dana Gioia. An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. 2016.