"The Perils of Indifference" and "The Lottery"

1)    "A Dangerous Absence of Emotion" - Elie Wiesel's original title implies the worst action humanity can take is inaction. Elie's explanation of the reasoning behind this inaction is indifference or, an absence of emotion. Indifference is "a strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil." (pg. 443) Wiesel proves this by providing examples like The Final Solution, and the St. Louis tragedy. One can further justify Wiesel's argument by using examples such as the Rwandan Genocide, and discrimination against the First Nations of Canada and African-Americans in the United States. In conclusion, one can agree that the worst response, is no response at all.

2)    The conclusion to Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" is shocking in many ways. It's gruesome ideals horrifies the reader and immediately turns them against the reasoning of the book. Yet, time and again research has proven that when put under pressure a human being will always conform to the group. This idea is also shared in William Golding's "Lord of the Flies". In Golding's novel a group of typical and rational young school boys crash on an abandoned Island. As the story progresses the group of boys steady conform to the irrational leadership of a savagely violent child named Jack. The disturbing novel affirms the conclusion of "The Lottery" and furthermore sets the reader upon opposing the discomforting logic.

3)    Elie Wiesel's speech relates to Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" in two specific ways. Firstly, the most prominent connection is between Wiesel's adamant statement on indifference, and the emotions of the townspeople as the follow through with their gruesome and ironically named "Lottery". One could argue against this connection by saying that "they're talking of giving up the Lottery'' (pg. 231) but the weakness to this argument is in the actions of the people. The mood of the entire crowd personifies not only indifference - as if the lottery is a bothersome ordeal that will be over soon - but also conformity.
       This leads to the second connection. In Wiesel's speech there is an underlying message that warns about the dangers of conformity. She points out countless examples of conformity such as the Final Solution when the world stood by and did nothing. Not only indifferent, but unified in a sheepish inability to act. Likewise, the townsmen are equally horrifying in their unity. The best example of this is found in the repulsive conclusion when the crowd stones Mrs. Hutchinson to death. In conclusion, one can agree that Elie Wiesel's "The Perils of Indifference", and Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery'' are directly relatable in the issue's of human indifference and conformity.