Essay Comparing The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas And The Lottery

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In Ursula LeGuin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” both short stories convey ideas of sacrifice to show how the perfect society is impossible and that there is always an evil. Both LeGuin and Jackson convey this message through the settings, people, and the intent behind the sacrifices. A comparison between the two societies reveal that there are similarities in the themes of the short stories but differences in the ritual and intent of the sacrifices.
The similarities and differences of the settings show the tones of each story, giving the reader a sense of reality or fantasy to try and get the reader to realize that the sacrifice is necessary. “With a clamor of bells that set the swallows soaring, …show more content…

Both populations easily make their emotions available to the reader to show how they feel about the sacrifices. “They all know it is there, all the people of Omelas. Some of the have come to see it, [...] even the abundance of their harvest and the kindly weathers of their skies, depend wholly on this child’s abominable misery.” (LeGuin, 3). “Tessie Hutchinson was in the centers of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as [...] “It isn’t fair, it isn’t right,” Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her.” (Jackson, 7). It is quite obvious in “The Lottery” that everyone is very content with the lottery, that is, until they are chosen as the sacrifice. Once the person is chosen for the sacrifice, it’s like a great evil comes up out of the Utopian society and everyone stones the sacrifice, whether they believe it is moral or not. Just like in “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”, people realize that the child is in the basement but they don’t do anything, but why? Because that child is their rock. If their rock gets messed with, the society could fall. The Lord said, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” Matthew 16:18. “ But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” …show more content…

“But there is nothing they can do. If the child were brought up into the sunlight out of that vile place, if it were cleaned [...] That would be to let guilt within the walls indeed” (LeGuin, 4). “Old Man Warner snorted.” Pack of crazy fools,” he said,” Listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them. Next thing you know, they’ll be wanting [...] Bad enough to see young Joe Summers up there joking with everybody” (Jackson, 4). In “Omelas,” the people are really just torturing this little child by keeping him in a basement, treating him like an animal, just so they could have a happy life. Just like today in modern times, these people are using him as a scapegoat, wanting someone to have all the blame of the cruel world on the other person’s shoulders instead of theirs so they can continue to have fun. Just like in “The Lottery,” one person is chosen to be the sacrifice so they can have a good harvest. But, unlike “Omelas,” the society in “The Lottery” only do their sacrifices for a good harvest. While they still do their sacrifice just because of an age old tradition myth, they sacrifice the life of one person, man, woman, or child, just so the rest of the community can live a happy life in the upcoming

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