Similarities Between The Lottery And The Rocking Horse Winner

When one is willing to give up something important or highly valued for the sake of another, it is defined as a sacrifice. Those that willingly sacrifice their own lives for the sake of another, commit the ultimate selfless act. The short stories, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence show two contrasting aspects of the same theme, sacrifice.

The titles of both short stories do have some similarities even though they show contrasting aspects of the same theme. Jackson’s title “The Lottery” gives reference to a game of chance with a positive outcome and invokes images of winners of fabulous prizes. It is also compared to other happy events when Jackson writes, “The lottery was conducted—as were the

square dances, the teenage club, the Halloween program—by Mr. Summers.” With the title of “The Rocking-Horse Winner”, Lawrence insinuates that there is a winner at the conclusion of his story and also plays on the imagery of a childhood toy to conjure up feelings of a happier and more carefree time in one’s life. He writes about how “the expensive and splendid toys filled the nursery.”
Even though sacrifice is ultimately portrayed very differently in these stories, both still have some underlying similarities when one considers the definition of sacrifice.

In “The Lottery” each townsperson is willing to participate in the lottery each year with full knowledge of the consequences of “winning”. Even the youngest son of Mrs. Hutchinson, little Davy, accepted the outcome of the lottery by apparently participating in the stoning of his mother, “the children had stones already, and someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles.” Lawrence expresses the willingness of sacrifice when he writes of how distraught Paul is when he does not “know” leading up to the Derby,”‘ I’ve got to know for the Derby! I’ve got to know for the Derby!’ the child reiterated, his big blue eyes blazing with a sort of madness.” Paul also wants more than anything to be “lucky” for his mother to be able to provide for her and quite the voices of the house that he constantly hears, “There must be more money! Oh-h-h, there must be more money. Oh, now, now-w! Now-w-w—there must be more money—more than ever! More than

ever!”
As both stories have similarities they are fundamentally different as to the final rendering of the concept of sacrifice.

Jackson shows that despite the perceived willingness of this small “village, where there were only about three hundred people,” to participate in the lottery, the ultimate sacrifice was far from accepted by the “winner”. From the moment Bill Hutchinson draws the slip of paper with the black spot Tessie Hutchinson complains that it was not fair. “You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair,” she declares to all. Even the last line of the story depicts the willingness of the townspeople to condemn one of their own while that same person argues against it, “’It isn’t fair, it isn’t right,’ Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her.” Conversely, “The Rocking-Horse Winner” depicts the ultimate sacrifice in an entirely different light. Paul is willing to give his all for his mother’s love and happiness as he confesses with his last words, “I never told you, mother, that if I can ride my horse, and get there, then I’m absolutely sure—oh, absolutely! Mother, did I ever tell you? I’m lucky.” Not only is this sacrifice given willingly, but others mourn the loss of young Paul, “his mother sat, feeling her heart had gone, turned actually into a

stone.”
When comparing the short stories by Shirley Jackson and D.H. Lawrence, “The Lottery” and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” one can see that both authors view the idea of sacrifice in each story differently. Shirley Jackson shows the willingness of sacrifice as long as it is someone else’s. D.H. Lawrence shows the true meaning of sacrifice as one who is willingly to give their life out of love for another just as Christ gave the ultimate sacrifice for the world. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”