I have always been slightly jealous of those who I think are better than me. It makes me yearn for equality. But, since reading Harrison Bergeron and The Lottery, I think I changed my mind. Two short stories The Lottery was written by Shirley Jackson, and Harrison Bergeron was written by Kurt Vonnegut. Jacksons story The Lottery, in which the residents of an unidentified American village participate in an annual rite of stoning to death a person chosen among them by drawing lots, became one of the best known and most frequently anthologized short stories in English. The village where the lottery takes place is described as a normal and enjoyable community. Children are looking forward to the summer and playing with each other. Adults are friendly [The women] greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands (Jackson). People are aware of the actions or diseases of other people and usually provide support to others. As a result of the lottery
, the winner was stoned to death by townspeople. Otherwise, they seem normal, not killer, but this is exactly what they do from time to time. In the futuristic story of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Harrison Bergeron the world finally corresponds to Americas first amendment that all people are created equal. In this society, gifted, strong and beautiful are required to wear headphones, respectively, heavy weights and disgusting masks, respectively. These limitations leave the world equal from brain to muscle and beauty. In a world constantly striving for equality between people, Vonnegut opens the world to which society diligently strives. Through this foreshadowing of the future, Vonnegut tries to use Diana Lunar Glampers and Harrison Bergeron as mechanisms to identify and prevent the dangers of two extremes too equal or too unfair. Although The Lottery and Harrison Bergeron have interesting difference in characters, they have surprising similarities in the writing style and cruelty.