The Lottery Short Story

Everyone has secrets; no one is perfect. Omelas is perfect. However, there is a catch to perfection. The catch; one person is stripped of their happiness for others to remain in happy. In the short stories “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson the characters in the stories show people living in a perfect place at first glance. Although looking deeper into the setting, theme, and symbols of "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" and "The Lottery" the short stories will show the reader a deeper meaning in the author’s writing.

At the beginning of the short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” Guin portrays a beautiful summer day on which a festival is taking place. During the festival,

For example, Jackson illustrates, “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with fresh warmth of full-summer day; the flowers were blooming profusely, and the grass was richly green." (254). Conveying an image of a comfortable and delightful atmosphere distracting the reader from what is truly happening. It is not until Mrs. Adams makes the comment that “Some places have already quit the lotteries” (Jackson 257). That the reader might question why a town would want to quit a lottery? When participating in a lottery the first thought to mind is the prize someone wins. Comparing the settings of both short stories the reader begins with the illustration of a façade of a perfect fun day such as a festival to cover up the real secrets these stories come to

The village and the utopian city portrays a perfect place to live. Yet someone else’s happiness is taken from them. In Guin’s short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” there is a cellular just beneath the most beautiful building in Omelas. The cellular holds a naked child who is approximately ten years old. Guin emphasizes that the child is younger due to the malnutrition and neglect he or she has received (252). The people of Omelas know about the child. They are aware of the cruelty the child faces. Guin states that “Between eight and twelve whenever they seem capable of understanding; and most of those who come to see the are young people” (252). Whether the people like what is happening or not the child is to stay in the cellar. The happiness of the people relays on the unhappiness of a child. Notably, the people of Omelas do not agree with the method being used (252). On the other hand, the child still sits there without hearing even a kind word (253). Moreover, in Jackson’s “The Lottery” the sacrifice is the stoning of the person with a black dot on their piece of paper they are to draw from a bowl. The lottery is a “tradition” (255). The life of one to bring as Jackson puts it, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon” (257). Both stories show them of sacrifice, in which one’s happiness is taken away to ensure the happiness of