Life Lessons Found Through Desperation In 'The Lottery'

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Life Lessons Found Through Desperation
Desperation often stems from a lack of something. It could be the result of the lack of fulfillment in basic human emotions such as freedom, compassion, love, happiness or companionship. In these 2 stories, desperation manifests itself through the lack of position, class and money or the struggle to maintain obsolete traditions. When dealing with social and moral issues, the third person narrative allows the viewer to be more objective. In this instance, the tone is heavy, gloomy and full of irony. The expedition in each story foreshadows the tragic events to come. In “The Necklace”, the main character Mathilde, carries a blind sense of entitlement, which makes her feel as though she has been born into the wrong social class. She longs for a life of opulent luxury. Although she comes from a middle class background, she refuses to be looked down upon and feels as though she belongs in the upper level of society.
June 27 in "The Lottery” paints a scenario of a beautiful summer day where “the flowers were blossoming and the grass was richly green” (Jackson). There are square dances, Halloween programs, and the teen club by Mr. Summers who seems like a caring,
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Graves arrives carrying the black box, one can sense the tension and death in “The Lottery”. Tessie was desperate to save her own life. It was not until she was chosen that she realized the terror and desperation. “The Necklace” had a rather an ironic ending. While Mathilde saunters down Champs Elysees, she encounters Madame Forestier. At that moment she reveals to her friend that she has replaced the diamonds. For a slight moment, Mathilde feels proud of herself. “You never found out! They were so much alike,” and she smiled.” (Maupassant). Madame Forestier feels empathy towards Madame Loisel and reveals to her they were fake. Mathilde is so desperate to keep her pride that she ruins the best years of her life. She is left void of love and

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