Yr 11 English

Amy Annells SACE 289776L

The Difficulty in Maintaining Your Own Beliefs in the
Face of Others"
1

Robin Williams famous quote on
conformity from Dead Poets Society, conformity is
almost our innate desire to fit in; changing ourselves
to become like everyone else, not rocking the status
quo if you will. The 2012 blockbuster movie, The
Hunger Games and the short story The Lottery -by
Shirley Jackson- both contain aspects of conformity
and rioting against them.
Now for a little backstory. Everyone who has seen
the Hunger Games knows that every year in
penance for an uprising two citizens aged between
12-18 years of age are offered to the Capitol as
tribute to fight to the
death in the Hunger
Game. This occurs every
year, no one questions
why out of fear of
punishment from the
Capitol. With The
Lottery it is set in a small
village and every year on June 20
th
a lottery is drawn.
While we may associate the word lottery with
winning, luck and money this is not something you
want to win. As you kind of (SPOILER ALERT) get
stoned to death. Jackson using the word Lottery as
the title was excellent writing, as it makes you think
that oh maybe they will win money or something and
not getting killed. Now the conformity aspect of The
Lottery is that it is held every year and like with the
Hunger Games no one questions it.
Both works have one thing very similar. They both
have some form of raffle that both have dire
consequences if you are drawn, in the Hunger Games
if picked in the Reaping you must fight to death in the
Hunger Games, in The Lottery you get stoned to death.
Both authors already install the theme of conformity
in these opening scenes.
In the Hunger Games everyone in the district must go
to the reaping (unless bedridden with sickness), if they
do not go they are punished. In addition the scene
where you can see the residents of District 12 going to
the reaping you notice that they are all wearing
similar clothing. Bland clothes of blue or grey.
Conformity Review: Hunger Games vs The
Lottery

Yr 11 English

Amy Annells SACE 289776L

Likewise in The Lottery the whole town gathers for
the event. Also while not much was said about the
clothing they wore, personally I visioned them all
wearing similar clothes that were bland and practical.
Here are a couple of conformity examples from both
genres.
In the Hunger Games, during the games themselves
Katniss conforms and becomes a puppet for the
Capitol so that she has a greater chance at winning
and living. She acts like she is in love with Peeta so
that Haymitch can sell the star-crossed lovers from
District 12 act and get them sponsors. Another act of
conformity in the Hunger Games is the Capitol itself.
Unknowing all the people that live there are
conforming as the system benefits them. Surely not
every person in the Capitol believes that the Hunger
Games are a good idea, and I guess like in the Districts
if someone spoke out about the games they would be
punished by the government. In addition all the
citizens of the Capitol all wear similar clothes, not in
that they all wear black suits but that all their clothes
are crazy colours and designs, this may be a way that
the author is installing conformity into the film. That
no one dresses normally because then they would
look like the odd one out.
Meanwhile in The Lottery like the Hunger
Games everyone in the town
conforms by going to the lottery.
The townspeople have almost
been brainwashed into
thinking that this ritual is
the norm. At the start of
the story Bobby Martin
stuffs his pockets with
stones soon all the
other children collect
rocks and make piles of
rocks. They all join in in
fear of missing out.
Lastly both works make the
society seem to be brainwashed. In
the Hunger Games Gale asks what
would happen if everyone just stopped
watching the games, and Katniss replies that everyone
would just keep watching, the districts do not know
anything different. The Hunger Games is also like take
one for the team. By giving two children as tributes
each year the Districts are pretty safe from harm from
the Capitol as long as they continue to obey them. The
people of the districts would rather sacrifice their
children than face the wrath of the Capitol, even
though they know it is wrong. In The Lottery the
townspeople are
brainwashed
into
thinking
that the yearly
stoning is normal. For
example, Old Man Warner is outraged when he hears
that the north village might give up the lottery, calling
them "a pack of crazy fools." Everyone in the town
participates in the stoning. Even Tessies own son
Davie participates. Through this Jackson shows how
someone would rather sacrifice their own family than
speak up to or question authority.