Fiction comparative and contrast - Essay Example

Fiction Comparative and Contrast Essay Thesis ment Literature evokes multiple hues emitted from life and time. When contrasting Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” and the story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell are publications from different time frames, this particular understanding becomes quite apparent. Yet, there are so many paradigms upon which, a comparative study of both the pieces shall enable the accurate determination of the actual flavour, subtle nitty-gritty’s woven into the larger context and web of fictions, placing and reflecting life beyond all mundane features of this world.

This essay intends to compare and contrast the aforementioned two different stories evolving out of different times and socio-cultural backgrounds. Correspondingly, this paper will evaluate the vision of both the authors operating behind the fabrication of such wonderful thought processes reflected within the plot of the stories, i.e. “The Lottery” and “The Most Dangerous Game”. Build upon the parameters of comparison regarding the areas like plot structure, characterization, setting , themes and purpose of the author, symbols, imagery style and tone, the essay shall probe into the transition of the thought processes and cultural backdrops from which the comparative analysis of these seminal works have evolved and operated.

Table of Contents Thesis Statement 2 Comparative Analysis 4 Conflict and Plot Structure 4 Characterization 4 Setting 5 Theme and Purpose of the Author 5 Style Tone and Imagery 5 References 7 Comparative Analysis Conflict and Plot Structure The most essential dimension of a fiction is the climax and conflict arousal within the plot followed by a resolution of the crisis. The plot of “The Lottery” evokes the crisis of soul and centres round the black ritual followed in a small village, where the random selection of a member is done who is then put to death through the brutal process of stoning.

The victim in the story is Tessie and the story ends on a resolution, although dark in nature, where Tessie is stoned to death. However, there is no firm evidence, where the redemption of the sin taking place within the micro society of a small village is shown condemned (Jackson, 2008). On the other hand, a thorough introspection into the plot of the story, “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, focuses on the hunting game and reflects the inversion of safaris that were the trend of the time in the aristocratic societies of America.

The story is the typical example of archetypal man versus man plot; while, the ending of the story is open and resolution of the story is kept ambiguous intentionally for the readers to develop their own insights and perceptions (Connell, 2007). Characterization In the story “The Lottery”, four characters build the plot; namely, Tessie Hutchinson the protagonist, old man Warner, Mr. Summers and Bill Hutchinson. The characters of the story are life-like as they reflect the outer behaviour apparent and obvious from real life context along with a strong sense of conscience reflecting the most complex and intrigued psychology of human beings (Jackson, 2008).

Contrarily, the characters in the story, “The Most Dangerous Games” are more fictional as the use and implication of metaphors are more potent in the story (Connell, 2007). Setting The plot of the story, “The Lottery”, is set against the background of a village, which is ignorant about the civilization and actual humanitarian values. The village is further shown as practicing almost all kinds of taboo rituals within its small and tinsel periphery of anonymity with around three hundred populaces somewhere in America (Jackson, 2008).

In contrast, one can find multiple locations and settings in the story “The Most Dangerous Games”. At the outset, a glimpse of a city life in New York, from where the protagonist of the story sets off for a voyage, is depicted followed by the falling off from the Yatch and reconstruction of the story line as second part against the adventurous backdrop of Caribbean (Connell, 2007). Theme and Purpose of the Author Thematically, both the stories are interlinked as the voice of the author takes the shape through some adventure and taboo games presented in the stories “The Lottery” and “The Most Dangerous Game”.

The story, “The Lottery”, envisages the evil lying on following any practice blindly and strongly condemns the herd-like mentality of mankind (Jackson, 2008). On the contrary, the story, “The Most Dangerous Game” ponders upon the theme of rationality versus intuition or instinct of man and also intends to project the ill-effects of wars on human civilization (Connell, 2007). Style Tone and Imagery The narrative style inherent in the story, “The Lottery” is evocative. Contrarily, the tone of the story, “The Most Dangerous Game” is more descriptive, full of subtle and minute descriptions of the adventures undertaken by the protagonist of the story.

Images and symbols abound both the stories. But, their presentation and motif varies contrastingly at length. The symbols presented in the story, “The Lottery” are the black box symbol of death and the game of lottery itself symbolic of a blind following of legacy or tradition in a society, irrespective of its unjust or cruel nature (Jackson, 2008). The story, “The Most Dangerous Game”, on the other hand, deploys the symbols of the jungle standing for inner chaos and conflict, the island that symbolizes anti-discourse of tradition and law of conventional society and civilization (Connell, 2007).

References Connell, R. (2007). The Most Dangerous Game. Maryland: Arc Manor LLC. Jackson, S. (2008). The Lottery. Baldwin: The Creative Company.