This lack of rebellion satirizes the tendency of some humans to ignore atrocious incidents. By referring to the lottery as one of the city's “civic activities” (739), Jackson implies that the lottery is a normal activity for the city and that citizens have become accustomed to organizing it. However, for Mrs. Delacroix, "there seems to be no time between the lotteries", revealing some anxiety surrounding the lottery. Mrs. Delacroix also seems nervous when her husband goes up for his shift, as he "holds his breath" (742). Even if no one appreciates the lottery, he does not have the courage to oppose an age-old custom. When Tessie is chosen to be killed, her husband does not object, in fact, he tells her to “shut up” (743). Incredibly, instead of mourning her execution, the entire family, including little Dave, takes part in Tessie's stoning. By not refusing to get rid of the lottery, Tessie's family contributes to her murder. A final example of how the townspeople failed to finish the lottery is that even though “the villagers had forgotten the rituals and lost the original black box, they still remembered how to use the stones” (745). This implies that even if some formalities of the tradition have disappeared, the end result is still the same. Usually, the rituals of a tradition reflect the meaning of the tradition.