Synthesis:"The Lottery" & "The Perils of Indifference"

"The Lottery" and "The Perils of Indifference" are two pieces of writing in which terrible violence and inhumanity are demonstrated by the most "ordinary" citizens. Events in both pieces are direct examples of how any ordinary human being can demonstrate acts of inhumanity towards others. Society has such a large impact on the actions of others and influences people to partake in situations they would not normally consider to be involved in or with.

In "The Lottery" average citizens of a small town take part in the local lottery which takes place once a year. These citizens are demonstrated to be normal people with families that are involved in daily activities such as work and school. The author of this short story builds up the plot line by describing the town and the families of the town. "The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green". This description alone allows the reader to assume that this town and these people are no different than us. However as the story goes on and the plot line builds the reader begins to question what the "lottery" actually is. As the people of the town gather, the winner of the lottery is announced and their "prize" is revealed. Mrs. Hutchinson was about to meet her death. Ordinary people, no different then us, stone the winner of the "lottery" once a year. For what reason? Well, the answer is... for no reason at all, I assume a more appropriate statement would be "just because". These citizens partake in inhumane activities that they believe are not inhumane at all and this seems to be the case with several situations or issues that occur all over the world.

Speaking of issues the occur all over the world, "The Perils of Indifference" shows direct examples of inhumane acts that are demonstrated by "average" and "ordinary" citizens all over the world. What makes people commit to the their actions and what motivation do these people have to go through with these actions? In my opinion I believe it is the pressure of others that convince us to commit to our actions. With reference to events all over the world such as the Holocaust, World War I and World War II the author of "The Perils of Indifference" brings reality to inhumanity and injustice occurring in the world. Elie Wiesel states "these failures have cast a dark shadow over humanity:two world wars, countless civil wars, the senseless chain of assassinations.." and the list continues on as Wiesel proves the indifference in past centuries. Indifference "is not only a sin, it is a punishment" and society chooses to keep it alive. Whether a person is a killer, a victim or a bystander, these are all considered forms of crime and at one point or another we will all be one or more of the three. The truth of the matter is injustice and indifference have been occurring over centuries, still happen till this day and will go into the future.