The Lottery and Harrison Bergeron - 1100 Words

The Lottery and Harrison Bergeron People with power in society often have the ability to influence the practice of certain traditions. These traditions can affect what a citizen is entitled to do. In todays day and age, life without basic freedoms and rights sounds unthinkable. However, in Shirley Jacksons â€Å"The Lottery† and Kurt Vonneguts â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† this is the reality. Old Man Warner and the Handicapper General show that people in positions of authority encourage outdated traditions that ultimately lead to innocent people getting hurt. Old Man Warner, an important person in society, advocates villagers continue to participate in the dated tradition of the lottery. The result of this was an innocent citizen in the†¦show more content†¦If the individual receives the card with the black dot, death becomes the outcome regardless of their innocence. In this instance, Tessie Hutchinson became the victim because of Old Man Warners actions. This is because Old Man Warner is clearly making the attempt to recognize the importance of the lottery and ensuring the village does not neglect this tradition. Had he not done this, the village could have been considering giving it up as well. Similarly, the people in the village were gathering stones while, Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. It isnt fair, she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head. Old Man Warner was saying, Come on, come on, everyone. [...]. It isnt fair, it isnt right, Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her (Jackson 6). This is significant because it shows how after Tessie Hutchinson received the paper with the black dot. She became the victim of the lottery, when she was actually innocent. Her mother disagrees with the lottery as well. She acknowledges that it is unjust and unprogressive, as Tessie is innocent. Therefore, displaying how the tradition is without a doubt is outdated. When Old Man Warner speaks, he is giving reassurance to the citizens to continue to carry out the act regardless and not to follow contrary belief. When Old Man Warner says thisShow MoreRelatedUtopia and Dystopia in Harrison Bergeron and The Lottery Essay examples1345 Words   |  6 Pagesoppressive societal control, in which exploits into an exaggerated worst-case scenario. The short stories, Harrison Bergeron, and The Lottery, are both literary examples imparted around a utopian society. Harrison Bergeron, was written by Kurt Vonnegut in 1961. This story elucidates a dystopian society that is derived of its individuality and is expected to conform to authorities. The Lottery, is a short story written by Shirley Jackson that was published in June, 1948 and exerts a story that anRead More Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron and Shirley Jacksons The Lottery1629 Words   |  7 Pagessociety, these freedoms are only dreamt of. When society draws such attitudes and lifestyles upon its citizens, one adapts and accepts these requests, but not without a compromise. In Shirley Jackson’s masterpiece ‘The Lottery’ and Kurt Vonnegut’s exceptional story ‘Harrison Bergeron’, human life is so often sacrificed and withdrawn that is becomes a norm in society. Forcing people to agree with someone else’s ideology of harmony and success cannot be achieved without discarding the non-believers.Read MoreThe Lottery, And Kurt Vonnegut Jr . s Harrison Bergeron970 Words   |  4 PagesShirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† both paint fairly morbid pictures of what extreme conformity can do in society. 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In these stories the author has his own feelings and thoughtRead MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery, And Kurt Vonnegut Jr. s Harrison Bergeron1604 Words   |  7 PagesA common theme of placing societal influences over personal values and beliefs can be found in Shirley Jackson’s, â€Å"The Lottery†, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†. These short stories describe situations in which the citizens allow the superiors to have full control, without thinking twice about the laws and traditions that require their submission. Both of these short stories are similar in theme, because each tells about a co mmunity that chooses to participate in cruel and inhumane traditionsRead MoreSimilarities and Differences Between ‚Äà ºthe Lottery‚Äà ¹ and ‚Äà ºHarrison Bergeron‚Äà ¹950 Words   |  4 PagesIn this semester, we’ve read â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† from the textbook. They are two short stories; â€Å"The Lottery† was written by Shirley Jackson, and â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† was written by Kurt Vonnegut. This essay is to compare the similarities and differences between them. The first similarity is that both of these dystopian stories demonstrate how people force themselves in a tradition that they have been told to follow even if they have an option to seek for change, and to exploreRead MoreThe Lottery, And Kurt Vonnegut Jr.1203 Words   |  5 Pagesfirmly to the viewpoint of a specific character or characters. Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† are two good examples of third-person point of view stories. These two stories give the authors the liberty to influence their content and theme across to readers using third-person narration without being biased. The third-person point of view in Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery demonstrates a remarkably unbiased narrator. The storyteller does not inquire intoRead MoreThe Lottery, And Kurt Vonnegut s Short Story1208 Words   |  5 PagesShirley Jackson s short story The Lottery and Kurt Vonnegut s short story Harrison Bergeron do share a similitude in subject, especially as far as scrutinizing the Status Quo, and the resilience of counterproductive social practices for compliance. There is likewise a comparability in that both stories show two extremely homogeneous social orders that mean to keep up their solidarity through basic practices that lead more to bring about apprehension than to lead towards change. Moreover, duringRead MoreEssay on Using Fear to Control the Masses1099 Words   |  5 Pagesthey do not know whether or not it is safe to continue on. The fear of the unknown is also expressed in 1984, The Lottery, and Harrison Bergeron. The government in 1984 uses fear to contr ol the masses. They set strict rules but leave a level of life completely unknown. The Party uses the people’s easygoing, trusting personalities to their advantages. In Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, the government holds an annual meeting where names are drawn and someone is toned to death. Not knowing through theRead MoreSince the beginning of time, morality has been a central component of human society. We strive to1000 Words   |  4 Pagessociety in which the basic morals we consider necessary did not exist, and with the most fundamentally basic human rights standards vanished. The two short stories Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut and The Lottery by Shirley Jackson exemplify two societies with completely different moral codes. The compelling short story Harrison Bergeron, by Kurt Vonnegut, is set in a future dystopian society. The plot follows an â€Å"average family† in the year 2081 after the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments to the