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Steve Adams is one of the town’s heads of household. When he draws a slip for his family, he shares a tight smile with Mr. Summers, showing that, despite the false politeness and practicality of the ritual, they are both aware of the great underlying stressors. As the town waits for everyone to draw their slips, Mr. Adams and his wife engage Old Man Warner in a conversation about how some surrounding towns are considering ending the lottery. His careful tone suggests that he might be testing the waters to see how Warner will react to this news; it seems possible that he and his wife may be secretly in favor of abandoning the lottery. However, Warner shoots down the idea, ending the conversation. Later, Mr. Adams is one of the first to advance on Tessie and begin to stone her, showing that, even if he does secretly oppose the lottery, he can’t or won’t choose to avoid participating in it. The lottery has been ingrained in him since childhood, and regardless of his personal opinions on the practice, the power of the group overrides any individual concerns.
