In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson (Jackson 133), the underlying evil and intent can conceivably be controlled through the use of tradition. What started as a gruesome practice, has evolved into a horrifying tradition, and what's even scarier is that no one knows the point of the tradition. The lottery system was not truly a belief, but rather an institutionalized custom, whereby, over time, the doctrine was lost and forgotten, the protocols were cast aside for selfish reasons; none of whom were to aid in the saving of life. The same can be said of many traditions of our society, although not to say that tradition does not change for the better. Indeed, many traditions in our society have changed, from negative to positive, often hiding the horrible nature behind the tradition and focusing only on the good. Admitting all this, a distinctive flaw in the tradition remains. If keeping the truth about the custom results in something unpleasant, perhaps it would be better to let that custom die out completely. Although Shirley Jackson's “The Lottery” (133) seemed disrespectful to many, one thing remains evident: tradition can be used as a tool of sovereignty, removing protocols, losing doctrine, and institutionalizing