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Similarities Between The Lottery And Harrison Bergeron

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Do most people wish to be followers? This is a question that has puzzled many sociologists when trying to understand one's social condition. Throughout history, civilised societies have been governed by sovereign powers that use a diverse set of rules and laws to maintain societal order and domination. Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher, stated that laws were made to refrain individuals from pursuing their evil objectives. Thus without them, chaos is sure to be a consequence of such behaviour. Countries that lack governmental control experience high crimes rates because there is no one to monitor individual behaviour and offer punishment to those who transgress societal norms. Likewise, when state leaders misuse their power, people tend to fall back to their more animalistic and violent tendencies. In the short stories, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the leaders manipulate their societies through the power their citizens or villagers allow them to have which creates a draconian dystopia in which individual autonomy and choice is restricted. This is demonstrated through the use of characterization and through the denouement. In both texts, the lack of freedom individuals are given plays a key role in their character development. In “The Lottery,” all of the villagers are required to take part in the lottery in which the unfortunate winner is stoned to …show more content…

In “The Lottery,” Tessie Hutchinson states that the lottery is not justifiable and “it isn’t fair, it isn’t right,’ (Jackson, 6). At the end of the story, Mrs. Hutchinson engages herself in rebellious actions by claiming that the lottery is unjust. In consequence, her objection towards the lottery ultimately results in her death. Though Tessie

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