The Lottery and Tradition free essay sample

The story may have been seen as an attempt to look at traditions that have become questionable. In â€Å"The Lottery† Jackson attempts to compare real world traditions that are no longer relevant, with those of the story by displaying what happens when traditions goes without question, when the reason or history is not known, and when there is resistance to change. Who stops or changes a male dominated society the oppresses women and children? At the beginning of the story, Jackson created an environment of irony. She described a village where it was summertime, the flowers were blooming, and the grass was described to be richly green. It was a setting that would be great for summer activities such as picnics or swimming. However, the villagers were preparing for something else: to stone the unfortunate person whose name would be drawn from the box fill with all the villagers’ names. Jackson described the activity as one traditionally done and called â€Å"the lottery. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lottery and Tradition or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † All the villagers participated in the lottery. The box where the names were pulled from has been used for such a long time; it is even older than the oldest person in the village, Old Man Warner. A reader might begin to see how tradition has existed for so long that nobody even has questioned it. Everybody, including the young children, happily prepare for it. More than likely, a reader would recognize that the stones the young boys were gathering at the start of the story are to be used to stone the person whose name is selected, as tradition dictates. The way the villagers act is actually unsettling considering what they are about to do. The reader may begin to question why and how traditions like this may exist that bring upon suffering and even death, and why and how is it allowed. A modern day fictional story that is perhaps, more relatable in the present is Suzanne Collins’ â€Å"The Hunger Games. † This tale by Collins has the same situation where a tradition is annually held to celebrate a historical event. It has a game where children whose names are drawn from a lottery fight against each other for survival, which includes killing one another until only one survives. Jackson’s short story is similar to Collins’, yet it does not have something that makes Collins’ story a little more understanding to readers; a reason for and a history of the tradition. Jackson does not do this; there is no understanding available to the reader as to how or why this tradition is necessary. In Collins’ books, she explains the history of the tradition and why it is seen as necessary; to suppress any further uprisings from people of the other districts. Maybe Jackson did not feel the need to explain the history or why the tradition began, but she does present the oldest character in the book, Old Man Warner, making the statement that, â€Å"There’s always been a lottery† (Jackson, 2007). Later in the story, it’s mentioned that other villages quit the tradition and Old Man Warner said, â€Å"Nothing but trouble in that. † So it’s possible that while there are those who saw that the tradition as no longer valid, whereas the characters in this particular story have not made such a decision yet. Although they clearly no longer remember or can justify the existence of â€Å"The Lottery. † Jackson may have used Old Man Warner’s character to represent the older generations that have a hard time adapting to changes. When the thought of quitting the tradition was mentioned by Mr. Adams, Old Man Warner’s response was, â€Å"Pack of crazy fools. Listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them. Next thing you know, they’ll want to go back to living in caves, nobody work anymore, live that way for a while. Used to be a saying about ‘Lottery in June, Corn be heavy soon. ’ First thing you know, we’d all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There’s always been a lottery. Bad enough to see young Joe Summers up there joking with everyone† (Jackson, 2007). Old Man Warner illustrates how the older generation can sometimes be reluctant to change. The younger generations often are the ones who initiate change, which is frowned upon by the more traditional folks. What is interesting in the story is the way Jackson made Old Man Warner say of the young, â€Å"next thing you know, they’ll be waiting to go back to living in caves. † Is it, possible that Jackson thinks that the older generation’s reluctance to some changes initiated by  the younger generation is because the older generations take traditions as something that is an element of moving forward? Old Man Warner is sure that the â€Å"foolery† of the younger generation will bring back the old and harsher ways of living, that the tradition is a way of breaking away from them. In the story, the fact that the present or young generation is full of ideas and defiance is not lost in the story. First, the mention that some villages quit the tradtion and some are considering quitting it happens at the time of the present or young generation. The act of defiance is shown by the way Joe Summers was joking with everyone, which Old Man Warner deeply disapproved of, and the way Mrs. Hutchinson protested against the conduct of the drawing are examples of the way the present or younger generation go against traditions. Joe Summers’ joking around can be said to be a representation of how younger generations may not always treat traditions with the same reverance that the elders do. Mrs. Hutchinson’s protest is an example of the start of defiance from the people oppressed by such traditions. Interesting enough, Mrs. Hutchinson also belongs to one of the more marginalized sectors of society, as women, just as much as she also belongs to the younger or present generation. She has the audacity to protest against the way the lottery was conducted even when she was already being stoned. The obvious description of the patriarchy which was dominant in the 1940’s give the reader an understanding of how deeply traditional the society setup is in the story. From the beginning, Jackson painted this picture by having the boys gather stones while the girls stood idly by. It was also the men who drew for the lottery. When Mrs. Dunbar was allowed to fill in for her husband, Mr. Summers protested by asking, â€Å"Don’t you have a grown boy to do it for you, Janey? † (Jackson, 2007). Jackson did narrate that the whole village knew the answer but politely waited for Mrs. Dunbar’s response, the fact that the question was even asked is common in a male dominate society where men are expected to represent their families and not the other way around. After Mrs. Dunbar pulled, she asked her son to go tell Mr. Dunbar, the results. What the woman, the wife, the mother has is only the power to pull from the box but the results have to be immediately conveyed to her husband. What really makes the story very disturbing is the fact that the children are very naive about the situation. They give witness and participate in a tradition that is harsh and violent. A society is expected to protect the innocence of children, but sometimes they are shown violent practices that are demanded by tradition. As an example, the highly controversial female genital mutilation, which is a tradition that even young girls are not saved from. In fact, the age among countries who participate in female genital mutilation can vary from as young as nine years old in Kenya to 16 years old in Kamba (UNICEF, 2013). In Jackson’s short story it is brought to the readers attention how the children are expected to participate in â€Å"The Lottery. †, instead of taking advantage of a beautiful summer day. The children were expected to gather stones and assemble in order to participate in the violence that was a tradition in their village; even looking forward to it. While they go to school like most children, the stoning tradition has become part of their summers. While schools are suppose to help young minds into becoming good citizens of society, the participation of the children in such a violent manner is considered normal in that setting. The story ends with the loud protest from Mrs. Hutchinson, â€Å"It isn’t fair, it isn’t right. † She questioned the fairness and appropriateness of the tradition, even though only after she was selected, but her protests, did not stop her fellow villagers from stoning her. In the end the tradition won. It was an ending that was open-ended. Maybe it was Jackson’s way of leaving it to the present and younger generation to address. She presented the idea: There are existing traditions that are questionable and oppressive, what will the younger generation do about it? She also left something for those that seek to end oppressive and questionable traditions; the society will come for you the way the villagers came for Mrs. Hutchins despite her pleas. There is truth in this picture painted by Jackson. The road to protesting tradition and changing a long-standing practice may be met with disapproval. History is filled with examples of how people protesting traditions and calling for change were ignored and criticized for a long time before they were successful in accomplishing their goals. Some of such protested practices would include slavery, women’s suffrage, civil rights, and so many others. Maybe another lesson to be gained from the open-ended way Jackson ended her story is that there is strength in numbers. In the story, it was Mrs. Hutchinson alone that expressly voiced her protests. What if the other women or just the girls joined in on her protest? If there were one, two or maybe more that joined her, the stoning may not have occurred. Sadly, no other voice joined hers, she was alone and everyone else chose to go along with the tradition. There is a lot to be learned from Jackson’s story, if one takes a deeper look at the story. What should not be lost is the possibility that the story is a call for young readers to take a critical look at traditions that are being practiced. Is there a need to review the necessity of traditional practices?  Is there a need to break way from social norms? It is upon the younger generation to cause change where there is a need for change and only retain those that are justified by present social needs.

Historical and Geographical Dynamics That Had Shaped China by the End of World War II

Historical and Geographical Dynamics That Had Shaped China by the End of World War II Introduction Development is highly treasured in the world since it indicates major changes that take place within a given time period. It is a key component to a country’s economic, social, and political status. In China, the term development came into use after a rough period when the European colonial powers had taken pre-eminence in most other states, thus controlling the economic, political, as well as social aspects. The end of the World War II was made possible by the initiation of the so-called development processes in the nations that had been involved in the rapid wars, i.e., the implementation of policies that would help to end wars as well as those which could prevent the occurrence of other similar wars. However, the development was possible because of the presence of certain historical and geographical forces that ideally shaped many nations at the end of the world wars. Historical processes are those that can define why certain empires/territories declined or inc lined, the economic, political and social processes that took place at a particular time to cause change, as well as the importance of some individuals who played important roles in the development.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Historical and Geographical Dynamics That Had Shaped China by the End of World War II specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Geographical dynamics represent the aspects of the human surroundings that mainly depend on time, which are influenced by human beings in their activities. In addition, they affect the same human beings who influence them in one way or the other. In china, there occurred numerous processes in history, which made it fall during the world wars; but a simple change in the same processes caused major developments in all aspects (Zhang, 197). The following paper is written with an objective of investigating into the processes in history and geography that led in the shaping of the country after the World War II. Additionally, it seeks to establish the contribution of these historical and geographical dynamics in situating the phase for development. For a concise understanding of the concept of theory and development, it is also important to study the process into which China was incorporated into the global economy during the period when the colonialists invaded and occupied other territories, as well as in the first half of the 20th century. More over, it is deemed crucial to establish the groups that exercised economic and political dominance during the colonial period as well as the influence they had on the economical and political aspects. Ultimately, it will give an insight of the kind of relationships that existed between distinct groups and classes that were present during the colonial period as well as the contributions of the relationships helped to reshape the economic, social and political aspects in china (Zhang, 142). Historical and geograph ical dynamics that shaped China by the end of World War II The historical and geographical aspects of a country are very crucial in every form of development. The world wars took immense paths that ruined every kind of political, social, and economic organization of China. The development process thus required the implementation of quite new processes and policies that would totally change the phase of the country. China, having been a development conscious country even before the war decades was set to renew every economic, social, and political structure in order to create room for change and ultimately develop into a powerful state. Development was therefore shaped by the interplay of a number of political, social, and economic forces that were in abundance at the time of colonialism as well as during the period when the world war two was ending (Riskin, 14).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF L earn More The social forces at play during the colonial period and at the end of the World War II had a massive influence on the country’s development. Long before the world war, China’s social system was marked by a kind of a slave society, with classes of people depending n the economic and political status. There were those referred to as the powerful elites, middle class and low class, who mostly were slaves to the ones in power. Relations were quite poor between the subordinate and powerful groups and the middle class. Those in power were in possession of the economic property, while there existed a class of people who were property less, thus leaning on the powerful for simple jobs to a point of some becoming slaves. The colonial period was also marked by a violation of culture among the people where the colonialists tried to instill their own culture to the indigenous people (Zhang, 166). The economic forces were mainly governed by rampant capitalism. Th e powerful and the subordinate people owned a lot of property while the middle class people owned very little to almost nothing. Additionally, property was owned privately and mainly controlled by the capitalists; hence, imperialism aspects had taken pre-eminence. The operation was based on a market economy that is free, where no government control was in operation but capitalists controlling it in all ways as well as those in power especially the colonialists. All including the financial institutions belonged to the capitalists, and no regulations put in place for the control of the economy. There was as well no set boundary as to what extent the colonialists/imperialists could control the land; but it was up to them since the indigenous government and its people had been oppressed to an extent of letting go every thing. Though the economy was controlled, the Chinese government as well as the citizens was not as silent since the world war occurred as a result of resistance in order to pave way for development (Riskin, 14). The political forces that governed the country had a fatal influence on the Chinese livelihood and government. The indigenous political set up and structure was no longer functional due to imperialists’ invasion at work towards the twentieth century. An elected parliament on centralized basis was governed mainly by capitalists, ignoring the autocracy idea. Worldwide suffrage had become a rare asset, though the democracy based on capitalism may be extended to the entire population. Various methods were used by capitalists to control government acts in all ways, thus violating the country’s democracy in all aspects (Howarth, 236).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Historical and Geographical Dynamics That Had Shaped China by the End of World War II specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Contributions of the dynamics in setting the stage engagement with Development The h erein discussed forces helped in setting the stage for development in China at the end of World War II. The social erosion that had existed created awareness to the indigenous people that togetherness and unity was crucial in development. It had been challenging in the fact that social classes existed, but this finally became strength since by the end of World War II, the Chinese people discovered the power in unity of a people, embraced socialism, and eroded a class system to become one. Oneness enabled them to set up policies that helped to intervene in the colonial rule and fostered development in all ways (Hershatter, 128). Additionally, the political dynamics where capitalists were in control of the government had already a set up system, which made it possible for the intervention policies to work best. The unity through socialism enabled the Chinese people to capture the government during the World War II and used the same to advocate for development before setting up another . It was easy to defeat the colonialists, initiate their own processes, and use them for development that could not be easily ruined by the colonialists. More over, on the realization that it was possible to develop together, all the social classes abolished and this created a sense of belonging to all in the land. The powerful who had originally owned massive property realized the importance of sharing, thus development worked towards eradicating the idea of private ownership, to pave way for communal ownership of property. Initially, peasants were paid poor wages but this made it possible for them to take part in the development process to ensure the end of oppression. It was also possible for development in the market economy where it was no longer free, but in control of the government. The social, economical and the political set up during the second world war was crucial in the identification of the thriving weaknesses at the time, and created room for rectification. Lack of t he forces would have hindered development in that it would not have been possible to identify the weaknesses, which acted as the basis for development (Hershatter, 133) Integration into the world economy during the colonial period, and up through the first half of the 20th century The colonial period was very crucial for the country, since it was possible for the country to be integrated in the world economy, though it had very negative effects (Glass, 2).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The country’s natural resources became an instrument for development as they all looked forward to exploit them for the sake of their economic growth and integration into the world economy. The Chinese people are always committed to the best results, and at the same time, the land has numerous exploitable resources that are of help to the globe, the reason for European, and other powers invasion of the fertile country. They exploited the resources and used them to produce powerful commodities that would be supplied to many parts of the world. The French and others who scrambled for the country led to the divisions that occurred in the country, a factor that led to china being connected directly to the world, specifically the western powers. The colonialists had also introduced the land tenure system of ownership, which entailed the powerful and the subordinate owning the land, while peasants worked on the land and paid low wages. This connected the country into the world econ omy due to development of the slave trade (Abdillah, 17). At the end of the world war, rapid industrialization and urbanization took place in the country, when there emerged a group of elites who enlightened the others about development, and led to the integration of the country into the world economy. Additionally, the twentieth century saw the country succeed in overcoming all powers that intended to take control of the economy, paving way to focus mainly on industrialization and urbanization. Up to the fist half of the twentieth century, china had become more successful in development, with the creation of cities and numerous industries (Glass, 5). Groups that exercised political and economic dominance during the colonial period The colonial period was marked by dominance in all social, political, and economical grounds. China, being among the countries where economy had thrived well in the period when the European powers tried to scramble and partition Africa, was invaded by a n umber of competing powers. The French were in the forefront in the scramble for the country, owing to the fact that the country had powerful natural resources. More over, Japan also developed interest in the land and started to scramble for the same. Furthermore, the Russian empire struggled hard in order to acquire apart of the land, creating a lot of pressure on the indigenous people. The same period of colonization saw the country consist of a class system, where there were powerful and subordinated individuals, and surrounded by a majority of peasants and slaves (Abdillah, 12). The imperialists were mainly in control of the country’s resources, including all financial institutions. The economy was controlled by capitalists; therefore, the idea of capitalism was very rampant at the time. In the political arena, an elected parliament on centralized basis was governed mainly by capitalists, ignoring the autocracy idea. Worldwide suffrage had become a rare asset, though the d emocracy based on capitalism may be extended to the entire population (Hershatter, 325). Various methods were used by capitalists to control government acts in all ways, thus violating the country’s democracy in all aspects. Before development began, the relations among powerful and subordinate groups and classes changed. The decades had been marked by a class system, which embraced private property ownership, thus the powerful and the subordinate owned a lot of property, having peasants work on their fields at low wages. The pre-world war period was marked by a class of the ruling and another of those that were ruled. However, there emerged a period of realization that saw all kinds of people unite to foster for development due to the occurrence of colonialism, ultimately leading to the world wars. The transformations during the pre-colonial period in the social, economic and political grounds caused positive relations that paved way for development which was the key idea at the end of the world wars, and up to date (Howarth, 236) Conclusion Development is deemed a crucial element all over the world. Thus, China, having not been excluded form the world wars as well as the colonialism was at the forefront in advocating for the noble idea. Colonialism in the country was marked by great changes in the economic, social, and political grounds. A number of historical and geographical dynamics became a key to setting the stage for development that took place at the end of the world wars. The end of the world wars and the period in the first half of the twentieth century also created a realization on the Chinese people that unity is crucial, a factor that led to industrialization and urbanization during the phase of change. It also saw the people unite into a harmonious group, working together for a common goal. Nevertheless, the aim of the paper was achieved, having established the historical and geographical dynamics that shaped the country during the coloni al period, and at the end of the World War II. Abdillah, Noh. Small Steps, Big Outcome: a Historical Institutional Analysis of Malaysia’s Political Economy. June 2010. Web. Glass, Frank. China after World War II.† Fourth International, Vol.7, No. 7. Ted Crawford and David Walters publishers. 1946. Web. Hershatter, Gail. Remapping China: fissures in historical terrain. CA: Stanford University Press. 1996. Howarth, Peter. Chinas rising sea power: the PLA Navys submarine challenge. NY: Taylor Francis. 2006. Riskin, Carl. China and the Human Developmental State. Queens College, City University of New York. 2007. Web. Zhang, Yongjin. Chinas Emerging Global Businesses: Political Economy and Institutional Investigations. NY: Palgrave Macmillan. 2003.