Jackson herself read all these letters, and incorporated them into a talk she gave on a number of occasions, "Biography of a story" where she took wry pleasure in the musings and misunderstandings readers communicated to her. In a way, it's rather like what happens instantaneously on Twitter or Facebook today; a writer impugns her readers' values and beliefs, and is suddenly called into the court of public shame. Only Jackson wasn't ashamed, only bemused -- and the story ended up as a breakthrough moment in her career.
Perhaps no less remarkable is that the tale was taken up for a film treatment in 1969 by Encyclopedia Britannica, whose film series was, in nearly all other cases, drily educational. Their director Larry Yust, whose other EB shorts included "Electrons at Work" and "How to Produce Current with Magnets," did not flinch at the story's subject-matter, or soften it in any way. The soft Kodachrome tones of his production make the blood at the end even redder. It's been adapted several times since, but never so effectively.
Once again this week we have four discussion questions -- choose one and post your reply below (you don't need to paste the entire question in, just your response).
This story is interesting because the townspeople participated in the lottery without questioning its purpose or considering the potential consequences it may have, and it seemed like collective guilt was one of them. As the town figured out what the lottery became, they were in shock. One may have thought that this lottery was just another big gimmick to win money, but there was a huge twist that turned people within the town against each other. In a common theme to the class, this was yet another story that explored the darkness within humanity and society.
ReplyDeleteI think that if this movie was released today with the social media we have currently this debate would have actually increased and become more of an issue. The way that news travels nowadays in way faster then how things used to travel when "The Lottery" was released. I am an avid Facebook, Twitter or (X), and Reddit user and hope quick certain forums and threads can gain popularity and "blow up". I also think that the comments about the movie would be more harsh because people on the internet tend to act "tougher" than what they really are. Also the anonymous can be anonymous and that is how most threats come about.
ReplyDeletequestion number 3:
ReplyDeleteThe Lottery and The Hunger Games share thematic similarities in their exploration of power dynamics and societal critique, delving into themes of control, sacrifice, and manipulation. Both stories offer biting commentary on the dangers of blindly adhering to tradition and the ethics of entertainment derived from human suffering. However, they diverge in setting, with "The Lottery" set in a small-town setting and "The Hunger Games" in a futuristic dystopia. Additionally, their narrative scope differs, with "The Lottery" focusing on a single ritual and "The Hunger Games" unfolding as an epic saga. Despite these differences, both works remain influential in literary discourse, sparking discussions about societal norms, power structures, and the human condition.
Jodi Fowler
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1.
I believe there would be hashtags created in response to this. I also see where there were certain celebrities or even regular people would create systems where they would encourage people to text their responses to a certain number or an email address with customized messages. Most people use social media to stay up to date with current events and so it would be easier and faster to reach more people and hopefully get them on board.
After reading this short story, I was in shock how the towns people still complied with the lottery tradition, knowing it caused harm. The fact that the lottery didn't truly have a reward to the people, but had a sacrifice. Although tradition is meant to be carried on, I think the towns people were lost on what was being granted from it. Did it really serve a purpose or were they only continuing to do it based on the tradition.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1
ReplyDeleteI believe with the use of social media today there would be a way bigger push on spreading information to others and there would be many different ways to reach an audience based on engagement, hashtags, most popular searches and much more. The process would move much faster and at a rapid rate due to the fact that when people become involved, getting information and trying to give their input, this can all be done at the tip of their fingers.
Q.2
ReplyDeleteBy comparing the fictional lottery in the short story "The Lottery", and the real world practices in social media like online shaming where the public shames and stigmatize individuals, the cancel culture where the public withdraws support or cancel individuals based on their actions, community exclusions, and the blame culture, readers gain insights into the rules of the social control, conformity, and consequences of the "taboo" behavior of an individual. Shirley Jackson's story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of following trends, culture, traditions, and the potential ab use or cruelty within the community.
- Ian Cabrera
DeleteQuestion 3
ReplyDeleteI see the connection for individuals who cite "The Lottery" as an inspiration for The Hunger Games. The main connection that I see between the two is that a dystopian society utilizes a lottery-based selection process for human sacrifice. In the case of Shirley Jackson's short story, this process leads to the death of a singular individual with the use of stones thrown at them. In The Hunger Games, a male and female tribute are selected from each district to participate in the annual Hunger Games. The games commence the savage brutality of fighting to the death to win higher power in society. The Hunger Games, especially in the movie series, dramatizes this process as an expansive, brutal process of killings at the hands of citizens. In both stories, human sacrifice is seen as a necessary tradition for the benefit of the humanity of the society. Whether one depicts the reasoning as a form of entertainment for the society, preventing overpopulation, or a means to void evil entities. This additionally of a film I recently watched called Midsummer in which a cult society has a ceremony in which several individuals are sacrificed. These deaths purpose as a means to achieve flourishing growth of crops/food source for the year ahead.
Joe Johnson, Question 3:
ReplyDeleteReading “The Lottery”, the connection to The Hunger Games was immediately apparent. I think the system of the lottery is barbaric, similar to people being pawned off to die for entertainment. It is nothing more than an annual ritual for the town. Both stories use this concept to argue against mob mentality and blind tradition as referred to in the Wikipedia source linked on the discussion board. The argument is that people should fight against the powers at be that put these rituals into motion. These fictitious examples reminds me of the real world “Stanford Prison Experiment”, a psychological study from 1971 where college students were chosen to become either prisoners or guards in a jail setting. It only took three days of the study until three “prisoners” were released due to trauma based on treatment by the guards who let the power get to their heads. In less than a week, the study had to be concluded to prevent serious psychological and physical harm to other people involved. This shows how easy it is for people to accept horrible conditions and become complacent, a theme which is prevalent in “The Lottery”.
Byron Veliz - Question #4. I feel if the film were made today it might differ from the 1969 version as since now we are more advanced in weapons ,more forms of punishment have been developed rocks wouldn't be used to torture people. A change I would make is instead of innocent people being brutality beat I would make it more fair as to only if you have committed a crime you should face a punishment. It would be cast thiis film in a town where there are high crime crates so justice can be ensured rather than the innocent being punished. I don't feel a setting as a school would be the right on because you don't want little kids to see the suffering of others more such as closed door location.
ReplyDeletecarina marques
ReplyDeletequestion 1:
I think with social media today this would have spread 10x faster and blown up all over different media platforms, with the help of influencers and celerities creating hashtags and sharing, engagement would have gone through the roof.
Mia JeanLouis
ReplyDeleteDue to the speed at which information is shared, the visibility that comes with it, the harsh criticism that can be directed at it, and the anonymity of online platforms, a film such as "The Lottery" would undoubtedly spark intense and quick debates in today's social media-driven world. This could potentially create a more hostile and polarized online environment around the film's themes and messages.
Lexianna Santos:
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2:
"The Lottery" can be seen as realistic fiction especially when thinking about symbolizing social issues like stigmatization, suspicion, shaming, and expulsion, which are still very relevant today. Stigmatization often happens when people are unfairly judged based on things like race, social class, and sexual orientation leading to them often being excluded. Suspicion shows up in things like racial profiling or doubting someone because of their background, culture, or mental health. Shaming often appears when attacking people for their mistakes or opinions, or negatively affecting their lives. Understanding "The Lottery" this way helps us see how these social problems are still very much present and still affecting people today.
Question 3:
ReplyDeleteI do see the connections between the lottery and the Hunger Games. In both films, someone is randomly picked to die for seemingly no purpose. However, in the Hunger Games, multiple people get picked and have a chance to fight for their lives while in the lottery, the person picked is automatically killed. Also in the lottery, the person picked is killed by friends and family while in the Hunger Games, they die fighting. Also, in both films, some people think that the ritual should be stopped while others think it should continue and don't see the problem with it. I see how the Hunger Games could be inspired by the lottery but there are also many differences between the two.
question 3:
ReplyDeleteBetween the Hunger Games and The Lottery the similarity from both was It was due to both being a game for entertainment. however the difference I saw was in the hunger games, their friends and family didn't want their loved ones to go, and if they did they were sad or willing switched places. while reading this story, it seemed as if everyone liked the idea of this game and the women's own children were assumed as well. in the Hunger games, Kat volunteered for her little sister, but in the lottery the women's husband was so quick to tell everyone his wife's death sentence. However when he picked the paper, she was upset for him!
Nataly Santos
ReplyDeleteQuestion 3:
While viewing both The Lottery and The Hunger Games, I was able to view a handful of similarities. Not only was the system where someone randomly was selected, something within both movies but also the reaction those selected had. No one wants to be selected in either the Lottery or The Hunger Games as it most certainly means death. I think the premise of The Lottery is a bit more sinister as its not as if you are fighting to win, you have people you know wiling to kill you just because you were selected.
Question 3 -
ReplyDeleteThe Lottery and the Hunger Games have many similarities. For example, someone was randomly selected in both the movie and the reading. Another similarity is that death is common in both as well. But the differences outweigh the similarities because the people you live with are willing to just kill you in "The Lottery".
Allison Quinn: Question 3
ReplyDeleteI think there is a pretty big connection between the two stories conceptually. In both stories there is a drawing to see who will be essentially sacrificed for that year. One of the differences in that though is “The Lottery” only has one person who is sacrificed. However, it is suggested it takes place in other counties similar to “The Hunger Games' ' where a person from each district is selected. Where it really starts to differ is that in “The Hunger Games” is that someone from the 12 districts can possibly survive. Although they need to fight for their life against the other 11 contestants. In “The Lottery” though the sacrifices don’t interact with each other, and instead are just stoned to death by everyone who lives in their village. They also have political commentary on the American society. “The Lottery” focuses more on the people themselves, and how they value traditions to the point they lose their own humanity. Along with sacrificing others without real thought behind it. “The Hunger Games” develops on this theme and focuses more on the government it’s self, and the people who are in power enforcing these traditions on to the people.
Question 4
ReplyDeleteA modern remake of "The Lottery" might place a stronger emphasis on technology and insights into the lives of the townspeople. The film will use technology such as the iPhone along with social media platforms. The film might also add more psychological horror elements, enhancing the tension and suspense throughout the movie. The film will also have more diversity than the original to fit modern movie standards.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 3
ReplyDeleteThe Lottery and The Hunger Games share the theme of tradition. The lotteries in both stories are annual traditions and have been held for over seventy years.
Both traditions are similar, but one difference is that in The Hunger Games they choose twenty children who fight to the death, and in The Lottery, they only choose one person to stone to death. These traditions are quite shady and should be stopped.
Quesion 3: In both "The Lottery" and "The Hunger Games," there's a striking parallel in the concept of selecting individuals for sacrifice. While "The Lottery" involves the sacrifice of one person annually, "The Hunger Games" extends this idea to selecting one person from each district to compete for survival. However, unlike "The Hunger Games," where contestants have a chance to survive through combat, the sacrifices in "The Lottery" are stoned to death without any interaction between them. Both stories offer political commentary on American society. "The Lottery" critiques the blind adherence to tradition, leading to the dehumanization of individuals, while "The Hunger Games" delves deeper into the role of government in perpetuating these traditions and controlling its people.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Viveiros
ReplyDeleteI do see a connection between the "Hunger Games" and "The Lottery". For example one of the main ones is that both stories take place in dystopian Societies; meaning they are both controlled by the an oppressive government that involves some violent rituals that both include sacrifice. One the flip side one of the main differences is "The Lottery" community is a much smaller scale more isolated while the "Hunger Games" has a way bigger community divided by 12 districts.
I saw some parallels between The Lottery and The Hunger Games while watching them both. Not only was there a procedure in place where someone was chosen at random from both films, but there was also the response that the people who were chosen had. Being chosen for The Hunger Games or the Lottery implies death, which is why nobody wants to be chosen. The idea behind The Lottery, in my opinion, is a little more ominous since, rather than competing for victory, there are people you know who are willing to kill you simply for being chosen.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 3
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see how the Hunger Games and the lottery are related. In both movies, a random person is chosen to die for no apparent reason. In contrast, the person chosen in the lottery is guaranteed to die, while in the Hunger Games, numerous individuals are chosen and given the opportunity to fight for their lives. While the winner of the Hunger Games dies in combat, the lottery winner is also assassinated by friends and family. Additionally, in both movies, there are many who believe the practice should end while others disagree, believing it to be harmless. Although there are a lot of distinctions between the two, I can see how the Hunger Games may have been influenced by the lottery.
Franz Eliasson