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Essay / The Idea of Human Nature in the Concerns of Eugenia Collier and The Lottery of Shirley Jackson
One of the greatest mysteries of human psychology is the idea of human nature, the idea that Humans share similar characteristics that explain our reasoning behind our choices and morals. Two works of literature that explore this concept are “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier. Through symbolism for "The Lottery", imagery for Marigolds, and irony for both, they explain how an aspect of human nature, the fear of change, affects what humans cling to and how they are afraid of what they don't understand. Say no to plagiarism. . Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the concept of humans fearing change is best illustrated through the imagery of the box Black, Old Man Warner, and surrounding towns. On the surface, the black box appears as a sign of change for the city, its “surface deteriorating every year; now it was no longer completely black but badly broken.” The tradition is disappearing, but people refuse to act on it. Most people do not agree with tradition, but their fear of change along with community elders such as Old Man Warner tell the community that they should not adapt to a different time period. On that note, Old Man Warner is the village's symbolic "voice behind your head", persuading them to continue practicing the cult ritual of the lottery. He does this simply by expressing his thoughts, calling the surrounding villages a "pack of crazy idiots", but also due to the fact that he is the oldest man in the town who influenced the ideas and thoughts regarding the lottery. Additionally, the cities surrounding the lottery directly represent change, as they move forward and evolve for the better. This upsets the people as well as Old Man Warner, saying, "Next time they'll want to go back to living in caves, no one works anymore, living that way for a while." Nothing but trouble there.” Cities represent people on the move, while the city still in the lottery is stubborn, but also afraid of what change might bring. Overall, The Lottery uses symbolism to show how persuasion and fear can affect the traditions we cling to. In "Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier, Lizabeth's fear of growing from a child to an adult with compassion is shown throughout the story with different types of images such as the first meeting with Miss Lottie, the argument between her parents and Lizbeth finally destroying the worries. First of all, the encounter is a blatant explanation of who Lizabeth is: a child. She says that "she was still a child enough to run with the group over rickety fences and through bushes that tore their already tattered clothes." Why would she want to change? She enjoys her life as it is, and when people are satisfied with what they have, they are even more afraid to take the opportunity to change their lives. So, later that day, when she overhears an argument between her parents, in which the gender roles are reversed, she finds herself in an entirely new situation that she cannot avoid. She said: “The world had lost its borders. His mother, small and sweet, was now the strength of the family; his father, who was the rock on which the family was built, sobbed like the smallest child. Everything suddenly went out of tune, like a broken accordion.” What happens when animals.