Analysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery, And Kurt...

A common theme of placing societal influences over personal values and beliefs can be found in Shirley Jackson’s, â€Å"The Lottery†, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†. These short stories describe situations in which the citizens allow the superiors to have full control, without thinking twice about the laws and traditions that require their submission. Both of these short stories are similar in theme, because each tells about a community that chooses to participate in cruel and inhumane traditions, rather than allow individuals to form their own beliefs relating to equality and unity, but in doing so, they prevent any productive growth in their communities. Research supports that, within the text of these short stories, Jackson and Vonnegut include their own memories and experiences to their characters and events. According to the St. Rosemary Educational Institution, Shirley Jackson â€Å"was bullied as a child†, which is portrayed in â€Å"The Lottery†, when she â€Å"shows cruelty and unfair actions from the characters.† Jackson includes her own experience and feelings in the main character, Tessie, who is murdered by all of the people she thought were friends and family, but, while doing so, she also allows the reader to read both, the town’s and Tessie’s, point of view. As for Vonnegut, he was politically active in many liberal-left political causes† (Kass Kass). Vonnegut strongly supported â€Å"freedom of speech†, opposed â€Å"the Vietnam War†, and â€Å"actively advocating socialism†