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  • Essay / "The Lottery" Modern Examples: Works by Shirley Jackson

    I think this story applies to life in the United States, 70 years after it was written, because of today's controversial politics and Republican agenda In the lottery today, Old Man Warner – a survivor of many lotteries – bitterly rejects reform and complains that "it's not like it used to be... People aren't like they used to be." one of those continual complaints you hear from Republicans and other types of social conservatives (in my opinion, it has even been described and applied today in our president's slogan: "Make America Great Again ") In other words, do business as usual; but some people never stop to think or complain about all the senseless, systematic violence that Trump has perpetuated – like the oppression of women and immigrants as well as in "The Lottery." .the villagers recklessly follow Mr. Summers and his lottery tradition without questions or complaints. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay "The Lottery" reminded me of Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" because both stories are about a dystopian society, where people are controlled by an authority power/other individual. Although “The Lottery” and “Fahrenheit 451” have very different stories, they are both based on tradition and how people are trapped in traditions. "In Fahrenheit 451", the characters are trapped in the tradition and customs of burning books without being able to read them - particularly the fireman, like the main character Guy Montag. In “The Lottery,” everyone is stuck in the lottery tradition that results in one person being killed every year. All the characters in both stories sincerely believe that this has always been done and that it must continue. They don't stop to think about the custom and its cruelty and don't bother to say anything about it, so people blindly comply with it. One play I linked "The Lottery" to was Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" because both stories emphasized the idea of ​​whether the individual or the community is of greater importance. In "The Lottery", Bill Hutchinson was singled out for drawing a paper with a black mark. In "The Crucible", Tituba is singled out and accused of engaging with the devil. This shows that in both stories the conflicts began with an innocent individual from the community being chosen and betrayed for selfish reasons. Additionally, no one defends individuals who are scapegoated because people believe the community is more important. The resolution of both stories ends with the death of an innocent man. In the lottery, innocent Tessie is stoned to death for the harvest. In the crucible, the innocent John also dies by hanging because he refused to confess his witchcraft. Both deaths were unjust, cruel and tragic. Additionally, "The Lottery" and "The Ordeal" have a similar theme of hypocrisy, as shown throughout the text and plot of the stories..