Scapegoating and the Psychological Conflict It Plays in One’s Mind
Nearly 3,000 lives were lost during the tragedy of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. The impact of this merciless attack affected numerous Americans. Up to this day, American’s perspective on one religious group, Muslims, have been changed for the worse because many people attributed the blame on the attack to them. Why does one’s perspective seldom let them see when they are blaming a scapegoat? Two stories that convey how a society may never let one see this are “The Lottery” and “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”. Each society relies on a scapegoat to control citizens by manipulating them to think about their inner-happiness instead of others, by forcing citizens to make …show more content…
Both children seemed to be oblivious that their other family member’s lives were in peril. This is an illustration of how these two citizens thought about their lives instead of their families. Nancy and Bill Jr. both seem competent enough to decipher right from wrong, however, in this society both of them were fixated on the fact that they were saved from stoning. Because the tradition of the stoning has occurred consistently for a long period, society and the citizens accepts this practice, therefore making each person want to save themselves. Another example of how citizens focus on themselves and act selfishly is that in “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin. Omelas is a vibrant, flourishing city where away from the markets”...streets the music beat faster, a shimmering of gong and tambourine, and the people went dancing” (Guin 1). There is an ongoing festival in this city with joyous music and celebrations, but it seems that many of these citizens seem to care, or know that a young boy is essentially being tortured in a
Nearly 3,000 lives were lost during the tragedy of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. The impact of this merciless attack affected numerous Americans. Up to this day, American’s perspective on one religious group, Muslims, have been changed for the worse because many people attributed the blame on the attack to them. Why does one’s perspective seldom let them see when they are blaming a scapegoat? Two stories that convey how a society may never let one see this are “The Lottery” and “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”. Each society relies on a scapegoat to control citizens by manipulating them to think about their inner-happiness instead of others, by forcing citizens to make …show more content…
Both children seemed to be oblivious that their other family member’s lives were in peril. This is an illustration of how these two citizens thought about their lives instead of their families. Nancy and Bill Jr. both seem competent enough to decipher right from wrong, however, in this society both of them were fixated on the fact that they were saved from stoning. Because the tradition of the stoning has occurred consistently for a long period, society and the citizens accepts this practice, therefore making each person want to save themselves. Another example of how citizens focus on themselves and act selfishly is that in “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin. Omelas is a vibrant, flourishing city where away from the markets”...streets the music beat faster, a shimmering of gong and tambourine, and the people went dancing” (Guin 1). There is an ongoing festival in this city with joyous music and celebrations, but it seems that many of these citizens seem to care, or know that a young boy is essentially being tortured in a