Dystopian Society In Harrison Bergeron And The Lottery

A Self-Styled Society The short stories “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut and “The Lottery” by Roald Dahl, feature dystopian and utopian societies. A dystopian community is characterized as an illusion of an ideal society maintained through extreme control of society. Utopia is delineated as a place conserved by customs. In the dystopian novel, “Harrison Bergeron,” the government makes the citizens equal by attaching restraints to them which decreases their IQ level, strength, and intellectual ability. “The Lottery” is based on an utopian setting where the superstitions lead to deadly sacrifices. In both short stories, individuals consequently struggle to keep their true identities, which results in them making sacrifices for the betterment of the society. This can be seen through the themes and use of symbolism. The citizens of both societies blindly accept the laws and rituals and promote equality in a very atypical manner. This …show more content…
She is making a sacrifice by not utilizing her real voice and pretending to be a person who she is not. Similarly, in “The Lottery,” : “Tessie Hutchinson [is] in the centre of a cleared space by now, and she [holds] her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her” (6, Dahl). In the introduction of the story, the town is portrayed as a unified village. The townsfolk appeared to be friendly and kind with one another. However, as the story progresses, the darker secrets of the town are exposed. The winner of the lottery has to sacrifice their life for the sake of the town’s evil greatness. The audience realizes that the town is very cruel and gruesome in reality ; the townsfolk are now depicted as selfish and non-amiable. Despite the sacrifices made in both short stories, the societies are