Hunger Games

Dystopian Societies are Cruel and Inhumane
In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.     Both of these stories share a common link that shows how cruel and inhumane dystopian societies can be. Dystopia is a state in where the living conditions are extremely bad from things like deprivation, oppression, or terror (freedictionary.com).   Both of these stories are similar in that the lower class or poor are more likely to be “chosen” as the one to perish.   Finally, both of these show similarities in following old traditions blindly.
In The Hunger Games, children are chosen out each year to participate in a killing.   Two children, one male and one female, are drawn to represent their district in this “game” of death.   It is supposed to be an honor to be chosen to represent your district. The Capitol plays it up with videos and shows about what a privilege it is to be chosen to die while the rest of the country watches. The country watches as these children go about hunting and killing one another in order to be the Victor. It is ultimately every person for themselves (The Hunger Games). In The Lottery, the children are involved in going out and gathering stones to throw at the chosen candidate.   They are also involved in throwing those same stones as well even if the person being stoned is their family member (The Lottery).   Children killing children and children stoning members of their community are heinous acts. These forms of “entertainment” show cruelty and inhumanity in each of these societies.
Another similarity lies in how each person to perish is chosen.   In The Hunger Games, each year after a child has turned twelve that child’s name goes into the choosing jar.   If a family is struggling then they can get more food to survive but the child’s name must be added to the jar four more times.   This means that if you are from a wealthy family your chances of being chosen are...