Similarities Between The Lottery And Dead Men's Path

The final acknowledged similarity between both intriguing works of literature is the way they start off versus the way the ended. Both stories start off with a sense of happiness and serenity but soon take a dark turn for the worst. “The Lottery” starts off describing a happy summer day in which the lottery is set to take place:

“The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green. (The Lottery, Jackson).

All through the plot of the story, we never sense that something bad is going to happen until the events actually start to accumulate towards the final scene of Tessie’s ultimate death. A sense of foreboding starts to settle in the

reader’s mind as soon as Tessie starts screaming how it was “unfair” and how her husband wasn’t given enough time to choose. The alarming meaning behind her words is eventually revealed when the villagers gather to stone her to death. The same goes for “Dead Men’s Path”. It starts off stating the accomplishment of the main character Michael Obi. A very educated man that is appointed as the new headmaster of an unprogressive school who has visions to transform the school and modernize it, which includes getting rid of the sacred path. As the story evolves, he closes off the path in order to stop villagers from passing through it and in turn, angers them. The readers sense that something bad will happen as soon as he gets a visit from the village priest telling him how the path is of spiritual value and how it should not be tampered with. When Obi disagrees, the priest leaves stating how Obi should let others believe what they wish to believe. The story ends with the school gardens trampled and a school building torn down. Though each stories are in two different locations, they are both similar in starting off cheerfully and ending on the opposite side of the spectrum.
Despite both stories sharing the same theme, there are also a couple of obvious differences. One of the differences between these two masterpieces is the tangibility of their traditions. Although both stories show a strong following of their traditions, it also shows us how tangible these beliefs are. In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, these beliefs are physically practiced on a yearly basis whereas in “Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe, they are felt and acknowledged in spirit. The first work of literature shows just how physical the tradition is with the gathering of the villagers and the stoning of a character every year (Mrs. Hutchinson in this time frame), but in the second story we are only able to witness a death due to the closing of their spirits’ path.. In their belief, if the path had not been shut off, everything would’ve been going as it normally would and the ancestors would’ve been satisfied.
Another noticeable difference between both stories is the symbolism.

While in “The Lottery” the names and objects seem to hold a meaning that contributes to the plot, in “Dead Men’s Path” none seem to be evident. One name that stands out is that of Mr. Summers. Summer is usually a beautiful season that brings about the birth of trees and flowers whereas in the story; it is the opposite. In the story, it is Mr. Summers who has the box - the lotteries - that gets to determine who in the village dies. Therefore, his name’s symbolization is contrary to its definition, instead it brings death and misery. Another noticeable symbol is the box that carries the papers itself. The box is said to be black and also said to be “splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained” (The Lottery, Jackson). The symbolism lies in the color and in the state of the box. The black color would definitely indicate how sinister and dark its contents are since its appearance to the public always foreshadows death. The state in which it’s in, splintered and fading, would indicate how old of an object it is therefore how old of a tradition this is and that maybe it is time for a change, that maybe someone should initiate an uprise of sorts against the tradition in order to put an end to it. However, no such symbolism was noticeable from first glance regarding the story “Dead Men’s Path”, no names or actions foreshadowed anything, and what happened to

the school garden was a result of Michael Obi’s action to close the spiritual dead men’s path.
In conclusion, although both short stories carry on the theme of tradition and its upholding, they still appear to have some differences and similarities. They are similar in how tradition affects the characters in life and death, and how both authors seem to have started their stories and ended them. On the other hand, they are slightly different not only in how the villagers practice their traditions and beliefs, but also in the symbolism of objects and names. That could definitely be traced back to how every writer has a different view on how their story goes. Nonetheless, both stories are masterpieces to behold and enjoy regardless of their differences due to the fact that they are admirable works of art by great and accomplished authors.