In the fictional short stories “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula LeGuin, the authors emphasize the idea of sacrifice for the good of society through the use of juxtaposition, foreshadowing, and hyperboles. The use of these elements throughout the stories are similar as they both demonstrate the principle of utility; however, each story is different in how it portrays the purpose of the sacrifice in its’ society. The authors use these literary elements to enhance the message that humanity finds it necessary to have a scapegoat to gain happiness and harmony, even if it means giving up someone else’s right to happiness.
Ursula LeGuin, in “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, intertwines juxtaposition …show more content…
The author begins by describing the environment and people of Omelas: “Some were decorous: old people in long stiff robes of mauve and gray… merry women carrying their babies and chatting as they walked. In other streets the music beat faster”(LeGuin, 1). LeGuin furthers this description with a stronger use of diction to create the image of utopia with words like “cheerful faint sweetness”, “bright air”, and “joyous clanging”(LeGuin, 1). By using these words, the author softens up the reader in order to create a more dramatic effect when she transitions into the dark secrets of Omelas. The speaker begins presenting the environment surrounding the boy with emphatic word choice throughout the paragraph such as “In one corner of the little room a couple of mops, with stiff, clotted, foul-smelling heads, stand near a rusty bucket”(LeGuin, 2). By using these descriptive words, LeGuin makes a subtle comparison to our society as we use those words to describe children in factories in third-world countries for the good and happiness of first world countries. The author begins to show the drastic difference in the environments as the syntax becomes more disorganized and
Ursula LeGuin, in “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, intertwines juxtaposition …show more content…
The author begins by describing the environment and people of Omelas: “Some were decorous: old people in long stiff robes of mauve and gray… merry women carrying their babies and chatting as they walked. In other streets the music beat faster”(LeGuin, 1). LeGuin furthers this description with a stronger use of diction to create the image of utopia with words like “cheerful faint sweetness”, “bright air”, and “joyous clanging”(LeGuin, 1). By using these words, the author softens up the reader in order to create a more dramatic effect when she transitions into the dark secrets of Omelas. The speaker begins presenting the environment surrounding the boy with emphatic word choice throughout the paragraph such as “In one corner of the little room a couple of mops, with stiff, clotted, foul-smelling heads, stand near a rusty bucket”(LeGuin, 2). By using these descriptive words, LeGuin makes a subtle comparison to our society as we use those words to describe children in factories in third-world countries for the good and happiness of first world countries. The author begins to show the drastic difference in the environments as the syntax becomes more disorganized and