Comparing The Hunger Games And The Lottery

Many societies have traditions that are questionable. In Spain there is the dangerous running of the bulls and in China there has been the very painful foot binding, but these traditions are child's play compared to some. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Is about a post war society divided into 12 districts who each send two teenagers to fight to the death once a year in The Capital. The Capital runs the games and reap the fruits of the 12 district's labor. The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson is about a small American town in the 1800s, that keeps order and sanity by selecting one town member to be stoned to death each year. Anyone can be selected, even children. In the end, everyone, including family members joins in the killing. In these stories, it is evident that The Lottery and The Hunger Games are different in atmosphere and society, but are similar in the way that they follow tradition.
The Hunger Games and The Lottery are different when examining the settings and the atmospheres that they give off. In The Hunger Games the town is dirty, dark, and rugged. During the reaping in the town square you can see the uneasiness in people's eyes. Specifically, the town square in The Hunger Games is a place of fear and hardship. Whether it is choosing a tribute or …show more content…
Firstly, the people in The Hunger Games see the town's square as a place of dread, while the townspeople in The lottery sees it as a normal peaceful place. Secondly, the society in The Hunger Games treats citizens unequally, while citizens are equal footing in The Lottery. Lastly, in both societies the citizens go along with their brutal traditions and show little or no opposition. If these stories tell us anything, it is that we should be careful what traditions we start, because we might not be able to control what they grow