The Influence of Society - Literary Essay Example

The reactions of Goodman Brown, Gimpel, Tessie Hutchinson, and the ones who walked away from Omelas provide apparent shocking twists regarding the high price they had to pay for their happiness. As such, despite the perfection of these societies on the surface, more can be understood regarding its citizens as well as traditions. On the contrary, the outcome of the sacrifices made by these communities was fruitless. As a result, their ideas of how society should operate are regarded irrelevant, since people are considered vulnerable to selfishness with most of them engaging in evil acts.

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The paradox of selfishness accounts for utopian societies in the short stories. For instance, in "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," there is no potential in the happiness of the people even though their society thrives (Le Guin and Ursula K 511). In this regard, they act happy only because their happiness is reliant upon on the neglect and abuse of a small child locked in a basement. The main reason for their success was due to the undermining of that child and as a result, this enhanced awareness among everyone who was eight years or older. However, those who did not coincide with the tradition left town while on the other hand, the majority of the people rationalized and accepted the fact that they had to pay the price for them to thrive.

In the Lottery, the high price that was paid for became prevalent among the rest of the population (Jackson 844). The main reason for this is because of the implications that were placed regarding the well-being of everyone. As such, each of them had to sacrifice their counterparts which later on, negatively affected their relationships due to falling apart of the utopia. From the very beginning, the traditions were taught in accordance with the validation of evil in human nature. Nevertheless, children were not allowed to question any meaning resulting from the outcome. Children who were indoctrinated assured the continuity of the tradition.

Selfishness and evil are among the main subjects that were taught to children and accepted in their society. When looking at the concept of tradition, its main problem is associated with its ability to validate and desensitize people with regards to any evil they are capable of committing. If in some instances, tradition can be seen as a way of justifying the evils of human nature, then it can also be prominent, vice versa. A tradition can emphasize the validation of evil regardless of the questioning (Hawthorne 10; Singer and Isaac Bashevis 205). Furthermore, people may be corrupted by the very essence of who might affect their positive impulses. When people become aware of engaging in evil acts, their normal response is rather categorical since it may question their actions based on the decision they are willing to make, whether is to change the course or remain in accordance with old paradigms.

In 'The Prophet's Hair" by Salman Rushdie, the main idea of the narrative is based on how people are affected by money and faith. The subject is woven around the concept of an obsessional object in relation to the lives of people. Both money and faith are satirized by the author who uses the characters and the Hair to emphasize the significance of the subject. As such, while most characters resemble hypocrisy and money, the hair depicts faith and religion. In the initial phase, the ethical motives of Hashim, one of the main characters, are questioned. In his statement, "...the Prophet would hold disapproved mightily of this relic-worship. ...I see it strictly as a secular object of great rareness and blinding beauty," Hashim relates to the significance of faith from his lip service. He regards 'vigorish' as bad in Islam.

The hair symbolizes Human bosom. Hence, it can be viewed as a secular object when replaced to its shrine. Although it can be regarded as a relic, Hashim significantly changes it into an object of higher value in an attempt to harmonize his motivations. However, his household encounters devastation later on as a result of the influence of power which the hair holds. This context relates to how people inconsiderately their lives merely revolve around money. Furthermore, due to the corrupting nature of money as well as fundamentalist faith, their usage of faith is based purely on a dead terminal.

In most cases, people often tend to disregard and misinterpret traditions in an attempt to seek justice in their misconceptions. As such, it has become prevalent that society only applies the concept of tradition where necessary, using it as an excuse despite the fact that it is no longer in their memory. For instance, the people of Omelas dwelt more on the evil in comparison to the villagers. On the other hand, the use of Indian enunciation in 'The Prophet's Hair" by Salman Rushdie signifies post-colonialism and how it relates to cultural and societal norms as well as positions. Selfishness is also apparent in "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," as people are seen finding joy in the suffering of others.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown. Book classic, 2015.

Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery."Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford.Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. 837-44. Print.

Le Guin, Ursula K. "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas." Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers.Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.1508-511. Print.

Rushdie, Salman. The Prophet's Hair. Vintage, 2016.

Singer, Isaac Bashevis. Gimpel the Fool: And Other Stories. Vol. 23218. Macmillan, 1957.