Essay Database

The differences between "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin seem relatively minor when compared to the striking similarities they contain in setting, symbols, and theme. Each of the stories begin with a description of a beautiful summer day. "The flowers were blooming profusely and the grass was richly green"(para 1) in "The Lottery" is quite comparable to "old moss-grown gardens and under avenues …

…been a lottery"(para 32). Although she doesn't say it in so many words, I find it obvious that she feels that the ritual is outmoded and should be put to an end. This in combination with the fact that the majority of townspeople don't even remember the reasons behind the ritual, has led me to the conclusion that they only continue the process for "tradition's sake." Parallel in these two stories is the fact that