Essay Comparing The Lottery And First They Came

Words: 493
Pages: 2

Compare and Contrasting “The Lottery” By Shirley Jackson and “First They Came” By Martin Niemoller

Both stories the main character is fighting for what he/she for what’s right. Although it might not be the easiest path, because everybody is against you, it will be worth it in the end. In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson Mrs. Hutchinson is trying to help the little girl from getting hurt even though nobody was on her side. In “First They Came” has a similar idea of Martin Niemoller regretting not speaking out for everybody the Nazis came for. In the end he had no one to speak up for him.
Between these two stories there is a lot of differences. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a fictional short story so it didn’t take place ever. In the story everybody follows the crowd, for example in the story when the little girl was about to get stoned and everyone stood there and watched except for one person and that was Mrs. Hutchinson. She was willing to help someone that no one else would help. This piece of written in third person limited point of view which differs from “First They Came”. In these stories the perspective of “winning differs”, In “The Lottery” if you get picked you “win” as in you get stoned.
“First They Came” by Martin Niemoller is a non-fiction poem which is differs from what “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson was written, and is
…show more content…
Both of these stories have consequences of not standing up for one another. In “First They Came” Martin Niemoller regretted not helping the Socialists, Unionists, and the Jews and has to live with that guilt even though the Nazis took him in the end anyway. In both of these story’s Martin Niemoller had regretted not helping and Mrs. Hutchinson had to fight for what thought was right this might not always be the easiest decision because everyone was against them. The writers wanted to make a point in these stories to help anyone that needs to be