These were two very interesting stories that touched upon the power of tradition, culture, and ritual, and essentially discussed the mysteriousness of humans and why we think and act in the ways that we do. In The Lottery, Mrs. Hutchinson demanded that her family be given the chance to draw again from the black box since her husband was not given adequate time to choose his slip of paper. When each member of her family draws again, she wins the lottery, but that means she gets stoned to death by the rest of the villagers. Why do these customs of sacrifice have such a strong presence in the village? Why does old man Warner fear the younger folk deserting these customary executions? Similarly, The Omelas story explored the mystery of humanity. Here, the people of this free and joyous city could only experience joy when they knew the small, naked, emaciated child was trapped in a holding cell below them. If the child was ever to be freed, the city would crumble.
I think there are some serious elements of groupthink in upholding tradition. It’s not always a bad thing, but often when something is repeated so much and is more than just habitual, it is an ancestral and historical practice, it can be very difficult to stop or to change people’s minds. Mind guarding, and unquestioningly believing in the group’s morality and invulnerability are just some of the issues that shroud around tradition. However as humans, we cling to tradition as it often gives us an identity, purpose, and meaning in life. As seen in the city of Omelas, the sacrifice of the morals of one individual to the good of the group is very powerful. This is why people in the city leave behind their own morality and let the child suffer. Tradition and making sacrifices for the common good of the group do not always have to be bad, but as seen in these two examples, they can be manifestations of selfishness, ignorances, and a loss of individuality.
I agree with how traditions tend to give people a sense of their own identity and can make them feel comforted but I think it is so scary how easy it is for those traditions to become something evil and illustrate the selfish tendencies of humans and how we naturally want to ensure our own success in life. The key effects of groupthink are also very visible throughout both stories and it is sad that it came to such drastic extremes within the two stories.