The Lottery vs A Rose for Emily

The eighteen hundreds was one of numerous revolutionary eras that required a great deal of adjustment in peoples’ lives. William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” are both short stories which portray the struggles one goes through to avoid the loss of cultural or family traditions during these changing times. Both convey these aspects of human nature and how they result in the demise of the characters throughout the …

…a mailbox to it” (33). The house was a visible reminder of Miss Emily’s refusal to submit herself to the changing ways. “A Rose for Emily” and “The Lottery” are both dismal stories, with one common denominator, the theme of man’s resistance to change. This can only conclude that a severe opposition to conform to or join into society will result in a downfall of the quality of life, or worse, a lonely death.