Comparison And Contrast Of The Lottery And The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

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then left ill-prepared when the
shocking, brutally violent, ritualistic traditions are exposed.
Children are an important focus in both stories. Jackson makes it easy
for us to imagine their "boisterous play"(para 2), and Le Guin writes "their
high calls rising like swallows' crossing flights over the music and the
singing"(para1). I see these children being used to symbolize perceived states
of happiness in both stories. I also believe they are vital necessities in each
story because they are taught and expected to carry traditions into the future.
For instance, in "The Lottery," "someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few
pebbles"(para 76), he is then able to participate in the stoning of his own
mother, and in "...Omelas," the tradition "is usually explained to children when
they are between eight and twelve"(para 10), and of course, the victim in this
tale is a child.
The fact that both authors include references to farming may be due to
the association between farming and ...

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