The traditions in A Rose for Emily are defined by the customs of the Old South. Miss Emily's father was controlling, dominating and in complete control of her life. Her existence is guided by a belief system and culture that was dying. However, her father, of the old guard, would never surrender his southern honor by allowing his daughter to marry someone he considered unworthy. So in view of this tradition, Emily's life is sacrificed. Although she lives, she has no life to speak of, except the brief time she has with Homer Barron, the man she poisons.
Comparatively speaking, there is a similarity in The Lottery, in that Tessie Hutchinson, a random victim, her life is sacrificed against her will also. She is a victim of a cruel and outdated tradition, like Emily, and has no power to stop the events that determine her fate.
Both stories highlight the tragic effects of outdated traditions that remain dominant in societies way beyond their significance or value. Clearly in Emily's case, she was a victim of the dying South. Tessie Hutchinson, in The Lottery, is a victim of a lottery system that chooses a random victim for an annual stoning to death. No one can remember why this annual ritual takes place, but they are afraid to abandon it.
Both the Old South and the village in The Lottery are male dominated societies. The actions of the men in these stories is not questioned.
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