What, Of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?

Old Man Warner represents the sentiment of tradition that exists in most of the townspeople. He complains that much of the "ritual has been allowed to lapse." This is true. The only part of the original tradition that has been preserved is the use of the box and the stones. In a conversation with Mrs. Adams, he calls those thinking of giving up the lottery, "a pack of fools." To him, and many villagers, the lottery, Old Man Warner quotes an old adage "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon," as if a ritual sacrifice is necessary for a profitable season. This superstition is what probably deters many of the townsfolk from giving up the old tradition. "There's always been a lottery," Old Man Warner says, but he also adds, "it's not the way is used to be, people ain't the way they used to be."

Unit 1 ties into the theme of tolerance and the acceptance of others, as Barbara Jordan said it, “We, as human beings, must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves”. Whether it was the short story What of This Goldfish, Would You Wish? Or the newspaper editorial The American Flag Stands For Tolerance, the pieces dive into and explore the issues of acceptance among others.

Acceptance is trusting, having confidence, and be welcoming of others. Being able to accept people with an open mind may be difficult at times but depending on our experience and the way we have come to be it can sometimes be very natural. In the three texts, “What, of This Goldfish Would You Wish”, “The Lottery”, and “American Flag Stands for Tolerance,” the author’s focus on the way we interact and relate with others. This quote, “We as human beings, must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves” said by Barbara Jordan, demonstrates how everyone should be open and willing to accept those who are different and not to discriminate against others.

The stories "The Wife's Story" and "What of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?" it supports the fact that you should not accept those different from you. In addition to supporting the prompt both of these stories have scenes that show that you should not accept those different from you. Those scenes that support the prompt will be explained in this essay using evidence from the text.

as to why someone would want to speak to him. 4 paragraphs later Sergei has come to the

In “What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?”, the author Etgar Keret portrays his view on acceptance through his character Yonatan. Yonatan was willing to knock on the doors of strangers and interview them for his documentary no matter their circumstance. For example the author states, “He’d knock on the doors. Just him. No camera crew, no nonsense. Just Yonatan on his own, a small camera in hand, asking, If you found a talking goldfish that granted you three wishes what would you wish for?” (pg 4, lines 1 - 4) A

     Furthermore, Old Man Warner is horrified at the thought of ever stopping the lottery. When another villager speaks of other towns that have done away with the lottery he says, ?Pack of crazy fools? (Jackson 369),and ?Nothing but trouble in that? (Jackson 369)

When he heard of the critical conditions of his sister and Sveta’s boy respectively, he did not hesitate to use his first two wishes to save them respectively. His sister had a fatal lung cancer; “The fish undid it in an instant-the words barely out of Sergei's mouth.”.(lines 135-137) And

One’s capability to accept others depends greatly upon their environment. Etgar Keret delves into this topic in his short story “What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?”. Sergei has a questionable past and has been hurt caring for others. He is given the chance to have three wishes fulfilled and rather than spending them selfishly, he spends them on others’ behalves. He spent his first wish when his sister was diagnosed with lung cancer and “The second wish was used up five years ago, on Sveta’s boy. The kid was still small then, barely three, but the doctors already knew something in her son’s head wasn’t right” (lines 138-140). Sveta, Sergei’s lover at the time, is unaware of this and leaves Sergei for another man a month later. This context is significant to recognize because Sergei is obviously afraid of the damage people can cause, despite being miserably lonely. Also representing this claim is a

Acceptance means understanding people no matter their opinions or beliefs. In the texts it talks about how different people accept different situations, beliefs, and opinions. In “The Lottery”, the author’s theme is that sometimes tradition isn’t always the right thing to do and not to follow other people.

Old Man Warner is the epitome of the lottery and its tradition. He is the oldest man in town, having participated in seventy-seven lotteries total. As a steadfast advocate for keeping things exactly how they stand and someone who is threatened by the idea of change, he distinguishes all the towns and the young people who have stopped pursuing the lottery as a “pack of crazy fools” (Jackson, 27). He is trapped within the past traditions, even if they should not sustain. Being the antagonist, Old Man Warner does not veer away from the tradition, even though many others do not agree with it.

In “The Lottery” Old Man Warner warns against not having a lottery. He says that there, “Used to be a saying about Lottery in June, corn will be heavy soon.” He also wishes for things to stay the same, as bad as they might be. In contrast, Mrs. Adams tries talk about the possibility of ending the lottery. Instead of trying to end the lottery, when the stoning of Tessie Hutchinson occurs, Mr. Adams is the head of the crowd.

When gossip of neighboring villages giving up the lottery wisps through the crowd, the notion seems unthinkable to the elders in this story (Jackson, 250). It is as if their foundational principals have been attacked by the idea (Jackson, 250). This imagery may serve to portray a climate of self-entitlement in our humanity.

Hello, I’m Old Man Warner, the oldest man in the village and a staunch defender of the lottery tradition. I agree profusely with the town’s annual lottery superstition. There’s always been a lottery, and that’s how it should stay. I heard from Mr. Adams “that over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery” “Pack of crazy fools,” I added petulantly. “Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them.” (Page 30-31, Lines 192-197) I’m threatened by the idea of change. I believe that the people who want to stop holding lotteries will soon want to live in caves, as though only the lottery keeps society stable. I condemn those towns and young people in other villages who have stopped holding lotteries as “crazy fools,”

In society, people with close relationships with others will have a different lifestyle and will make them feel better. I can relate to this because i have a bestfriend which we always hang out and have lots of memories. My best friend makes me feel much better about myself, because i know i have someone, other than my family to rely on. This changes the way i live because before i met my bestfriend i wouldn’t be going out and having fun, but once we actually became friends it encouraged me to have fun with many other friends too. So it’s always great to know that you’ve got someone who’s got your back, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a best friend or even a human in general.