Answers

1. The significance of the fact that the original box has been lost and that many parts of the ritual have been forgotten.

Even though a lot of trends have been changed and forgotten, the people have not changed the idea of stoning to death i.e. the savagery still exist in the human society. No matter things keep of changing but the idea of brutality sustained in the life of human being is main issue the statement raises. In the fiction the black box has been changed means they can make changes with their tradition but they seem to be so much rigid in changing their brutality/savagery. Other forms like instead of wooded chips/splinter they started using piece of paper, since they say that the population has raised so it is difficult to do with the wooded splinters. Similarly, there used to be the tradition of chanting hymn and saluting the person who comes to draw the lottery, but now they just ask the name. all of these facts are the witness that original things have changed but only one thing that they stick to as original is to kill. In this regard human beings are like cannibal.

The significance is even though the black box has been changed and lots of rituals have been forgotten, (that means the total spirit of the ritual), but they have not changed killing people. Through this it indicates the people are unwilling to change their savagery.

2. He was little nothing but life how does this statement relate controlling idea?

the controlling idea is the life, an energy, that guides and struggles till the end.it does not hesitate to fight with the supreme force, death. nomatter how insignificant an insect may be that keeps on struggling till it breaths last. it has vigour, the same vigour that other living creatures have whether it is human being or the animal, whethr too big or tiny. the moth does not give in (surrender) so easily rather keeps on struggling against the ultimate enemy. no external force is helpful when...