For most, winning the lottery would be a joyous occasion shared by the family and friends they never knew they had. Parties would go on all night, and just think of all the wonderful toys that could be bought. The winner would perhaps be referred to as a lucky stiff, and in the case of "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson that name would be dead right. In this story, we find that winning the lottery is not high on anyone's wish list, but is instead, a most dreaded occasion for the villagers. Some speak of ending the ritual sacrifice, but this is just chatter, leaving them to conform to the norm of their society in the end. These strong social-psychological influences undermine the individual concerns of the villagers, and allow the sacrifice to go on.
             The power of conformity is a force with which to be reckoned. Solomon Asch proved this in his conformity studies in 1952 and 1965 when students were asked to pick a line the same length as line A. Most of the students chose incorrectly feeling the need to conform to the group's answer, even if they knew it was wrong. Fearing alienation, not many people are willing to stand up for what they believe in. When faced with rejection, most people will fold under the pressure and adopt the established standard of their social order. When Mr. Adams states, "that over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery" he is trying to voice his own opposition to the inherent barbarianism of the town's ritual. He quickly backs down however, when Old Man Warner adamantly states, that all who no longer adhere to the ritual are a, "pack of crazy fools." Old Man Warner then continues saying, "we'd all be eating chickweed and acorns...living in caves." This statement only drives the nail of conformity deeper into the already trampled individuality of Mr. Adams, thus leaving us with a feeling of uneasines
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