The thing that catches my attention more than anything in this story "The Lottery" is the character Mrs. Dunbar. She is an ironic symbol by being traditional and changing at the same time. We see her at four different points in this story. Each time we see her she makes small breaks within herself that contradict tha lottery's traditions. At the same time she upholds the tradtion of the lottery and emphasizes a mothers traditional …showed first 75 words of 503 total…

…showed last 75 words of 503 total…says this so she does not have to take a visible active part in the stoning of Mrs. Hutchison. Saying she will catch up shows her irony because her intent is to stay behind. In the end Mrs. Dunbar holds up the tradtions while at the same time she instills in her son the idea of breaking the tradtion. Possibly, one day, giving him the courage to speak out against the tradtions of "The Lottery".