Victims of Old Customs

Victims of Old Customs

Everyone is raised differently. Some abide by their religion, their traditions or even customs. In "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner, Emily was raised by her father using old southern customs. In "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, Tessie is forced dead even though she does not believe in the tradition they do every year. Both Tessie and Emily are victims of old customs and out dated traditions.

Emily's father was dominating and in complete control of her life because he was also raised to believe in southern customs. Her existence was guided by something out of date. At the time the Civil War had just ended and there weren't different customs any longer but to her father there still was. Her father would never surrender his southern custom by letting Emily to marry someone who had no potential in his eyes, leaving her with no life. Although she lived she has nothing to speak of except the little time she had with Homer who she eventually ended up killing.

In the lottery Tessie is a random victim also who is losing her life because of an outdated tradition. Her life is sacrificed against her will. As Old Man Warner went through the crowd he says, "Seventy-seventh year I been in the lottery, Seventy-seventh time." This shows us just how old the traditions are.

Just like Emily, she's a victim who has no power to stop the events that are making her life. Everyone questions why they still keep the tradition going but do nothing about it. Tessie try's to speak up and give them some common sense but it's no use. By the end of the story she is the last one to pick the paper out of the much important "black box" and gets the first rock thrown at her by her own son.

Both "A Rose for Emily" and "Lottery" show how two women are victims of outdated traditions that are still very important to their