In the story "the Lottery" there are many different dilemmas that are occurring. The town itself is described as an old fashion town in which everyone seems to know everyone else. This ordinary town however seems to have this tension about an event that is going to occur. Tensions are high because the lottery is coming. Because everyone else out for themselves the level of uncertainty about who will be picked for the sacrifice is overwhelming.
Shirley Jackson uses a great deal of symbolism to convey her ideas to the reader. Moreover, the names of the characters are the first thing the reader may find a little odd. The names of the characters I found to be a form of symbolism. Mr. Summers is the one who draws the name for the lottery and Mr. Graves is the one who makes out the slips for the black lottery box. The names of the characters reveal that Mr. Summers picks them because they want to have a good summer of corn. Mr. Graves name shows that he is the one that is basically doing the dirty work for the town when making out the slips. It is definitely a little bit odd that the man who makes the slips just happens to be called "Graves" that possibly refers to the person whose name is drawn will eventually end up in a grave.
The idea of how traditions can symbolize prosperity is completely outlined in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery". The concept that one person being sacrificed for the better of the town is universal. Even in 1948 the idea of how human nature can surpass what seems right or wrong is indefinite. Even today we can relate this to our world;