The Lottery Utopia Analysis

Humans have aspired to create a world without conflict or struggle for as long as history can account. What we aspire to is known as a utopia. While many contemplate about how they would best shape society and attain perfection, there is no such place where this has been accomplished. This is because we as humans are imperfect beings susceptible to greed, fear, and mortality. Within these flaws conflicts arises and many times a compromise must be made. In both The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, by Ursula K. Le Guin, and The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, a community is depicted that had attempted to attain a utopia. In some ways these communities had managed to benefit those that lived within them; however, we eventually learn these places

There are schools for the children, jobs for the men, and homes to be kept for the women. While the town in The Lottery is not a land of sprawling beautiful structures and orgy’s a plenty like Omelas, it is a form of utopia constructed for the more conservative minded people of 1948 when this story was first published. The town of Omelas is also a utopia with sprawling structures, a highly fulfilled workforce, and naked children running unabashedly through the town. Both of these towns were created by the author to appeal to their intended audience. While on the surface these towns seem to be ideal a catch lies in wait. One could refer to these unfortunate catches as a compromise but in the case of these two stories the term scapegoat seems to be more

The type of society created by Shirley Jackson is one that is willingly participating in self harm. There is nothing being accomplished by this fatalistic behavior and the motive that would cause it to cease would be self preservation. Accordingly, assumptions over what exactly Shirley Jackson had intended on defaming with her short story have been innumerous. An argument could be made that Shirley Jackson created The Lottery to cast a light on many of the nonsensical practices of particular christian factions of the time. Moreover, The society that has been created by Ursula K. Le Guin is one that sacrifices the few for the many. The motives of the ones who walk away from Omelas would be purely selfless rather than to rid themselves of the guilt brought on by burdening the individual who suffers for their happiness. one could also state that Omelas was a representation of America’s citizens in all their splendor turning a blind eye to those living in impoverished nations of the world. While there are many parallels to be made between these two stories they are created to defame different types of societal