Oblivescence - forgetting; state of being forgotten
The stories “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and Antigone by Sophocles both have oblivescence as a part of their stories.
For the townsfolk of “The Lottery” they continue the practice of stoning an individual who drew the bad lot once a year to putatively ensure their crop. Albeit, they’re not sure this was the true ratiocination or the quondam tradition even.
[See: “There was the proper swearing in of Mr. Summers by the postmaster, as the official of ”The Lottery”; at one time, some people remembered, there had been a recital of some sort, performed by the official of “The Lottery”, a perfunctory. tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year; some people believed that the official of “The Lottery” used to stand just so when he said or sang it, others believed that he was supposed to walk among the people, but years and years ago this part of the ritual had been allowed to lapse.” -- “The Lottery” ]
In Antigone by Sophocles, Creon seems to have forgotten that Eteocles was apart of a throne-sharing system with his brother Polynices, but he wouldn’t allow Polynices to serve his term thingo.
Maybe in Antigone, it is implied that the characters wanted to forget the whole Oedipus incessant whatnot.
