A prize wheel, like the one used in the popular game show Wheel of Fortune, is a round wheel that you can spin to determine what you win or lose! You can use prize wheels at carnivals, festivals, or parties.
Symbolically the battered black box represents the death that it brings to the community as well as a worn out tradition. The box is mentioned repeatedly throughout the story, which is a sign of its importance, although we are kept in the dark about its ultimate function until the very end.
