Human Hypocrisy And Violence In The Lottery And The Hunger Games

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and the movie "The Hunger Games" are different pieces of literature which show how human beings can be drawn into violence because of their traditions. The two pieces also show how the hypocrisy of human beings can be possessed and directed towards violence.

In "The Lottery, " people observe an annual stoning ritual which is believed to have a deep significance among its members. The name lottery is symbolic because a person was chosen in the lottery and then he or she was stoned to death. However, the people in "The Lottery" forgot the real meaning of conducting the ritual but anyway they carry it out so that they can reduce the population to get a better harvest. On the other side, in the movie "The Hunger Games, " the residents in the capitol watch the traditional hanger games as a form of entertainment. Twenty-four kids from different districts were forced to kill each other in a televised show, and this is something which the society celebrated openly with champion tours and grand parades. However, human beings are drawn into violent because of the acts of the norms observed by the society. The themes of the two pieces are focused on the problems caused by violence in the society.

Indeed, "The Lottery" and the movie "The Hunger Games" are popular pieces of literature which have diverse elements of comparison. In both pieces of literature, rules and rituals are two core elements of comparison. Indeed, they both focus on sacrifice which is employed as a scapegoat. While having no real significance, both pieces have a ceremony which is employed to play a part of a formal event which brings a district or a town together. Besides, both pieces have similar rules which have significance in diverse ways. For instance, there are various rules which call people living in districts or towns to attend a particular event when the person is chosen. However, the rituals are also carried out, in the same way, each particular time in a specific situation. In both the "The Lottery" and the movie "The Hunger Games”, there is an annual ritual where a person is chosen in random to be offered as a sacrifice in the ceremony.

Though there are rituals in both of them, the routines are different because they are carried out in different ways. Besides, comparing the choosing of the sacrifice differs in different ways in both pieces. In "The Hunger Games", the sacrifices are referred to as tributes. Notably, these tributes are chosen from a glass bowl which contains the names of all people between the age of 12 and 18 living in the same town or district. Moreover, the name of an individual could also be added more times something which led to an extra gain of favors and gains for that family such as the gain of food amongst others. In two different tributes are also chosen, but one of the tributes is a male and the other one a female as opposed to the case in "The Lottery". Indeed, though in both pieces there are ceremonies, they are formal social events which have no meaning in the coming years. The set rules should be followed strictly, and anybody who is chosen to act by the rules is supposed to adhere to them under all circumstances no matter who and when. In both pieces, the rules are critical because they ensure that the rituals (the social events) are carried out correctly. It is important to note that both pieces depict the purpose and the power of tradition and culture from the societal point of view.

Last but not the least, the hypocrisy of human beings is demonstrated in both literature pieces. For instance, in "The Lottery", Tessie Hutchinson changes her emotions completely when she is chosen as a tribute to be stoned in one of the emotions. At the start, she states "Wouldn't have me leave m'dishes in the sink, now, would you, Joe?" Soon after she is chosen to be stoned, she screams "It isn't fair, it isn't right, " when all of the villagers turn upon her. In this case, it can be suggested that if it could be another person, Tessie Hutchinson could be on the side of the villagers and throw stones on the victim as opposed to when the situation occurs her. Notably, it is clear that committing violence in the story can be linked to hypocrisy. On the other side in the movie "The Hunger Games, " youth from the twelve districts are forced to fight to the death in televised entertainment. Though the fights are bloody and brutal, the capitol promotes the game. Indeed, the capitol does not send its youth to the games because they know that they are not only bloody but they are brutal. Instead, the capitol views these games as a form of entertainment, but the districts see them as a violent oppression scheme which the capitol claims to control. If the capitol could force its youth to the games, it could feel the same oppression and also be terrified like the districts.