The Village: the Lottery

Fear is something we can encounter and which we can experience in different ways. In the movie The Village we come across many characters who all live in the woods isolated from the community. Those in the village are not permitted to step out of the woods because they believe they are surrounded by mysterious creatures. Another text I was able to read that is similar to the movie The Village is the text The Lottery. This text demonstrates a group of people who are dependent to a story. The character Mr.Summers runs the lottery every year in which one person is chosen to get murdered in a cruel way.

In the village the people wear traditional clothes and work in agriculture to be able to grow food for themselves. The people live free from any kind of technology or medicine, in a world far from the present time. Throughout the movie The Village we encounter how the villagers mention the phrase those we do not speak of. The people fear something they can't even understand but it's something they live with everyday. The elders of the village make sure to teach those of the next generation about the agreement made between those in the valley and the creatures who surround the woods. The fear of this idea that haunting creatures with large claws as they say can attack anyone who crosses the woods. The people in the village lose love ones everyday caused by diseases and they cant do nothing about it because they don't have the tools necessary. Due to the fear in the villagers they lack the courage to step out and see what's the actual danger that surrounds them.

In the text The Lottery we can see the same use of method in which there's a village and the people are celebrating until they up there is when they start to feel fear. Mr.Summers is the one who hosts activities for the village since it is known that he has plenty of time to do so. The people even feel sorry for him because he doesn't have a family of his own and his wife was someone who was often angry. For the people this becomes a tradition even the children have some type of participation in this violence. As we see in the beginning of the text we read how the children fill their pockets full of stones. The villagers themselves don't know the reason behind this ritual but they keep it going for years. Its becomes natural in which nobody stops to questions the need for someone to get murdered until you are the one chosen. Once you are marked not one person in the village will feel pity or sorrow, they will instantly forget who you were as a person.

In both the movie The Village and the text The Lottery characters encounter fear or express fear in one way or another. For example, the character Ivy Walker suffers from blindness as we discover from a scene. At the beginning of the movie she's seen as this fragile woman who wants to be loved by this guy named Lucius. Throughout the movie she's the one character who develops to be a strong and brave person. When Lucius gets stabbed by Noah this becomes a wake up call for Ivy. She's determined to go to the woods and find medicine to save her one true love. Even though she is blind she's willing to face and defeat those creatures that surround the woods, this demonstrates how her love for one person can overcome fear. In the text The Lottery we have a character name Tessie Hutchinson who seen in society as a good housewife. The author builds up a character in which she's excited every year to participate but once her family is chosen she has something to say. Tessie mentions It isn't fair right, Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her. This demonstrates how Tessie protests the lottery and believes its unfair the way she has to die. The people in this village live in a governed society in which they think it's all games but everyone is actually in danger.

Now in society people would like to keep their children from bad habits so they can grow up away from any kind of violence. In the movie The Village the elders cause this fear in the villagers as a method to control their town. The elders use this method to protect their own from the real world as a way to keep them from ones curiosity. For example, the concept of money can be a big deal to people. The need for money can trick people into doing things they shouldn't be doing. Money was not a role to the people in the town because throughout their lives they have learned to be independent. Colors were also a major aspect to the people such as the color red it represents evil and violence. It was seen that the elders had secrets of their own from the outside world which they hid from the villagers.

Tessie's death symbolizes how now in society we see in the news how violence has shaped our world. This tradition the people call has made them blind towards what is really going on. For example, a situation that is common such as persecuting someone with no valid reasons. They think they doing right by the law. Another, example that is similar to the lottery in society is bullying. Now a days bullying is something that is common in the schools or in social media. Many are blind to see what bullying can cause to others. In the text noticed how the students were excited to gather and participate in the violence. This can relate to bullying because the one who's being aggressive can have a different mind set. In other words bullies think it's fun or a game to be aggressive with others.

In my opinion we can't always keep people from doing bad decisions but we can always orientate one. For example, as a parent one wants the best for our children so they teach us from right and wrong. Religion, education and music can influence our lives in many ways. Following a religion can teach us that murder or violence is wrong and we shouldnt do it. As a young child we group we that idea in which we develop as we grow older. In school we learn the consequences of such actions like murder which helps know that it's wrong. The idea of having an education has become something important it because without it were nothing. For example, my parents stress out the idea that we should learn from their past and to become someone stable doing a job we really enjoy. As we grow up we learn different ways to view life based on our culture aspects.

Overall, the movie and the text both provide real world situations such as violence or keeping those we love away from being ambitious. Fear is definitely a feeling that can consume us from trying out new experiences. The feeling of being fear played a big role in both stories because characters would lack the courage to speak up and stop what was going on.

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