B. preserve an institutionalized tradition that imposed limits on its participants.
Explanation:
The main idea of <em>The Lottery</em> is how societies often preserve traditions even after they have lost any reason for existing and even become damaging to the people. This is the case of the lottery which is held in the town. The lottery has no particular purpose or benefit. It is simply maintained and repeated because of an extreme desire to respect and maintain tradition, and to limit the behaviour and liberty of people.
