In the overview of "The Lottery" written by Hicks, it is stated that the lottery gives people the disruption they feel they need in life (Hicks). The Sun Journal says that "'The Lottery' is considered one of the most haunting and shocking short stories in modern American fiction" (Sun Journal). The story was originally published in the New Yorker in 1948 and after the story was published by several people. wrote letters and called the New Yorker to express their disgust, dismay and curiosity" (Sun Journal: Lottery Preview) Martin states that "'Mr Summers, Mr Graves, it seems commonplace, until let the reader realize that. one member of the close-knit community is about to be stoned to death by the other residents. Nebeker writes in 'The Lottery': Symbolic tour de force on how the symbolism is strong especially with the black box, black represents death, and ritual ideas (Nebeker). The date itself is June 27 and it is the summer solstice season which is known for ritual times (Nebeker). The men begin to gather and talk, then the men become quiet and more aware. , then the women join their husbands and call their children (Nebeker). Nebeker says: “Once oral, now written – what the dead hand of the past has codified into religion, morals, government and the rest of culture, and passed down from generation to generation, letting it become ever more cumbersome, devoid meaningless and indefensible” (Nebeker). The Lottery lost a bunch of its past rituals and Nebeker says that now, since they lost the ritual part, it has become a meaningless and useless element. Fritz shows an article which, according to John H. Williams, says: “What I am suggesting, then, is this. The story can be seen as a depiction of how a patriarchal society controls female sexuality” (Fritz). Fritz points out several reasons why men are inferior to women in this story. Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves need help and they want the guys to lend a hand. Fritz states that “the lottery is organized by families and households, with women assigned to the households of their husbands, who draw for them in the first round” (Fritz). Fritz states that "Mrs. Hutchinson complains that the draw was unfair, her husband orders her tersely and authoritatively: 'Shut up, Tessie.' And when it becomes clear that Tessie drew the marked paper, Bill “snatched the piece of paper from her hands” and “held it up” for the crowd to see” (Fritz). This shows just how different it was at the time this story was written and how women were supposed to keep quiet while the man of the house did what he was supposed to do. Fritz also states that "Mr. Summers gets the job because people feel 'sorry for him' as someone who 'had no children' and whose 'wife was a scold.' The childless woman is considered a “scold”, a challenge to male authority” (Fritz).