Blog Post #4

Group 1:

1. Read the short story version of “The Lottery”. The original story is a much pared down version of the film – there’s no Jason, Felice, love story, male rivalry, etc. It’s also told very simply, much like the fairy tales we studied earlier on. What do you notice in terms of plot, characterization, point of view, and setting? Do an intrinsic reading in which you use only these literary elements to discuss the story.

Answer: In the short story version of "The Lottery", I noticed that the setting was very different, this story feels like it is in a calm place, almost peaceful, where as the film version started off with a nightmare and the town is shown as this sketchy cult. This short story version has an objective point of view, we don't really know anything about the characters except for they are all there ready for The Lottery. The plot is pretty straight forward, we know that there is this "drawing" and it comes down to someone getting the paper with the dot and being stoned. 

Group 2:

7. Seen or read The Hunger Games? If so, you likely will see the parallels between the blockbuster and “The Lottery” (elements of which appear in Games and which were partial inspiration for the trilogy).  What are these parallels? How do both texts treat the issues of bourgeoisie vs. proletariat and the ideology the bourgeoisie spreads and sustains?

Answer: As soon as we watched The Lottery my first thought was how it reminded me  of the Hunger Games. In the Hunger Games, the bourgeoisie controls the proletariat just like it does in The Lottery. And the proletariat is controlled by the fear from the bourgeoisie. Both stories sacrifice one person from their"village" or "district", and they are both chosen through a drawing. Both texts show that the bourgeoisie keep their people "in check" through their sacrificing systems. And in both stories there is the one that does not agree with the system and that wants to stand up and make a change. But it shows that you have to have more than one person to stand up and make a change or the "systems" will continue.