essay prep

Harrison Bergeron

The Lottery

The Pedestrian

perspective

idea 1 - people don't question traditions until they are directly affected by it

idea 2 - families can turn on each other in desperate situations

idea 3 - young children are raised to follow these traditions without doubt or question

blindly following customs and traditions can be detrimental to society

text structure

repetition

“It wasn't fair!” "It wasn't fair” "I tell you it wasn't fair.” "It isn't fair”

narrative convention

characterisation, dialogue

“Mrs Dunbar had small stones in both hands, and she said, gasping for breath. "I can't run at all. You'll have to go ahead and I'll catch up with you.”

narrative convention

characterisation, dialogue

“There's Don and Eva," Mrs Hutchinson yelled. "Make them take their chance!”

language feature

lexical choice

'Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paper out of her hand.'

language feature

descriptive language

'The children had stones already. And someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles.'

perspective

idea 1

idea 2

idea 3

an over reliance on technology can replace human connections

society is dehumanised through an over reliance on technology

language feature

lexical choice

“A metallic voice called to him: ‘Stand still. Stay where you are! Don't move!’”

the development of technology has caused loneliness and a loss of human connection

the idea that societal norms have changed over time

narrative convention

characterisation, dialogue

“Hello, in there,” he whispered to every house as he moved. ‘Whats up tonight on channel 4, channel 7, channel 9?"'

narrative convention

characterisation, dialogue

"Where are you taking me?" "To the Psychiatric Centre for Research on Regressive Tendencies"

language feature

simile

"The tombs, ill-lit by television light, where people sat like the dead, the grey or multicoloured lights touching their faces, but never really touching them."

perspective

idea 1

idea 2

idea 3

total equality comes at a cost

technology can be used as a means of controlling society

the idea that people are controlled by fear OR people conform out of fear of what will happen if they don’t

the idea that total inequality is achieved by inflicting pain on citizens

“And George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear.”

character action

narrative convention - character action

"Diana Moon Glampers loaded the gun again. She aimed it at the musicians and told them they had ten seconds to get their handicaps back on."

"But Harrison snatched up two musicians from their chairs. waved them like batons as he sang... He slammed them back into their chairs."

foreshadowing

“Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothie and roundest stones."