In its time, "The Lottery" was very controversial because it was seen as an attack on small rural towns, which made made up a very significant portion of America. It was a message saying that tradition should not be followed blindly because it is illogical or even harmful. However, over time, the message was taken into account and people began to question why they did certain things. It even held so much impact that it became the inspiration for the popular book and movie series, "The Hunger Games".