But when Mr. Hutchinson's name was called in the lottery, his wife Tessie was willing to sacrifice her daughter's life for her own. How can he love his daughter and yet be able to let her die? The lottery creates tension between family and tradition, and love for tradition wins. What's even sadder is that children also participate in the annual event. Before the actual lottery took place, "some of the other boys... selected the smoothest and roundest stones... and made a large pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it from the incursions of the other boys." The lottery becomes a sort of game for children, where you see who collects the most stones. Parents have conveyed to their children the idea that the lottery is not that serious. If parents are supposed to love their children, they should try to instill positive messages, not destructive things like this. It's almost like telling your child that it's okay for you to join in the killing of another human being. This is not loving your child; it hurts