The Resistance to Change Essay Example

be morally right or positive for society. In the "Possibility of Evil", the roses grown by MISS.

Strangers, and the notes she made were symbolic of herself. They both appear to be sweet, kind, and wonderful, but all they can manage to do is cause pain: the thorns of a rose, and her resonantly.

The stem represented her personality and each thorn attached depicted something evil in her. When pricked, it would cause pain, just like the letters she wrote to those suspected of evil or victims of evil. Miss.

Strangers causes pain unintentionally without realization of it because she grew up being taught to fly evil in others rather than in herself. "My family has lived here for a better than a hundred years. My grandmother planted these roses, and my mother tended to them, Just as I do," (Possibility 250).

This quote shows how there is a tradition with the roses and the souse. It Is all she has known her entire life. "She had been writing her letters-- sometimes two or three everyday, sometimes no more than one in a month The town where she lived had to be kept clean and sweet, but people everywhere were lustful, evil, and degraded, and needed to be watched; the world was so large, and there was only one Strangers left in it," (253).

Miss. Stranger thought she was change keep the town perfect, even if hurting those in the process; it was how she grew up.

Change is something she sees as evil. Resisting to modify herself is avoiding costive change that would make her a morally better person. Symbolism was also evident in

"The Lottery'.

Furthermore, tradition is shown through two things, the black box, and the paper with a black dot in the story. These both have been around for a lengthy amount of time, and symbolize the tradition of the lottery. "The black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born. Mr..

Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black ox" (Lottery 310).

The box has a lot of sentimental value, and to get a new one would be like altering the tradition, and that is something society is resistant about. "The black box grew shabbier each year; by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained. " (310) No matter how beat up the box gets, it wont be changed, its part of tradition, and tradition is set in stone.

The paper with the black dot is a symbol for death. Whoever draws it from the box won a stoning to death, "Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paper out of her hand. It had a black spot on it, the black spot Mr.

. Summers had made the night before with the heavy pencil in the coal-company office" (316). The "winning" paper also symbolizes tradition, as it has been the same way of winning since the start of the lotteries, and people resist to changing it. It

was the way they were raised, and the way they feel it should stay.

The second topic, irony, was evident in both stories. Within the "Possibility of Evil" Miss.

Strangers appeared to be a typical, stock character. Any reader would assume that she would be a cute, loving, sweet old little lady, since that's the stereotype of elders. At the beginning she gave off that persona, but as the reader continues reading the story, her true personality is revealed. She is Judgmental and meticulous, "Miss. Strangers hated sloppiness" (Possibility 251), which is the opposite of what anyone would expect from her. Miss.

Strangers believed that everyone else had to change their ways, to form to her outlook of how things should be, "didn't you ever see an idiot child before? Some people Just shouldn't have hillier" (252). Miss. Strangers believes that it is everyone else that causes evil, not her. She shows how it is by human nature and innate to resist change, as she attempts to change everyone else but herself.

Pathetic fallacy is another form of irony that is present in both stories. "The sun was shining, the air was fresh and clear after the night's rain, and everything in Miss.

Strangeness's town looked washed and bright" (249). It gives the appearance that the town is perfect, when in reality it is imperfect.

This resembles how some people are blinded by the logic they grew up on, ND cannot tell what is true and morally correct from morally wrong and injustice. They only know how things seem to appear, and not the reality of things, which causes them to resist change, even when

it is needed most. Originally, in the beginning of "The Lottery', no one was openly objecting to the tradition of the lottery.

Everyone followed the rules, and everything went as planned. Through to reach her family, and she was very humorous Mould have me leave medium's in the sink, now, would you, Joe? And soft laughter ran through the crowd as the people stirred back into position after Mrs.

. Hutchinson arrival" (Lottery 311). What's ironic is that by the end, she had ended up being the one getting the paper with the black dot. It's interesting at how, only at this point does she realize that the lottery is immoral and that there should be change, "It isn't fair, it isn't right,' Mrs..

Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her" (317).

Just like in "The Possibility of Evil", "The Lottery' also has pathetic fallacy. "The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green" (308), this makes readers assume that the Tory about a lottery is a stereotypical one; the winner of the lottery gets money, or gifts, or material prizes. The reality is that the winner won their death. It's the opposite of what was expected in a day like that, and a normal lottery.

The pathetic fallacy shows how everything is not as good as it seems.

The reality is often hidden by tradition, tradition that should be altered, but is resisted against since people rather follow their outdated logic, so that they do not have to change. Likewise, within the "Possibility of Evil"

there are two types of conflict; man vs. society and man vs. man. Man vs. society is due to the way Miss.

Strangers believes society is to be like. She feels it is her duty to inform others of her suspicions, "as long as evil existed unchecked in the world, it was Miss.

Strangeness's duty to keep her town alert to it There were so many wicked people in the world and only one Strangers left in town," (253 Possibility) when really, it was unnecessary, and in doing so, she creates more evil. Eventually, Miss. Strangers slips up when delivering her anonymous letters, and she is revealed to the town.

"Look out at what used to be your roses" (255). This is man vs. man, because owe, the people she had sent the letter specifically to had taken revenge. This is all happened since she was resistant to change her devious and Judgmental thoughts.

Now that the roses have been cut down, it's a sign for her that tradition sometimes has to change. Also, "The Lottery' is a true representation of tradition and culture, and the negative effects that some traditions have. The lottery is the major conflict in the short story, because whoever draws the black dot was stoned to death. This is man vs.

society because if a few people object to the lottery tradition, it goes against the rest f society who believe in the tradition. "There's always been a lottery,' he added petulantly. Bad enough to see young Joe Summers up there Joking with everybody. ' 'Some places have already quit lotteries,' Mrs..

Adams said. 'Nothing but trouble in that,' Old

Man Warner said stoutly. 'Pack of young fools" (Lottery 313). Stopping the lottery is considered a terrible idea that when lost, will also create other changes that are supposedly not needed.

There is resistance to change; most people look at the lottery as something that is highly of importance but this causes a man vs. man inflict in the end. One's opinion against another.

Only when there is a death, does it stir up the morals of some people, and it is then that they might rethink traditions. Tradition is what blinds people from the truth, and creates resistance, which is innate due to the way of life one has grown up in.

Resistance is shown through the symbolism, irony, and conflicts in both stories, the problems it caused, and the realization of those problems. Reasons differ, but they all have in common one thing; it is innate and by human nature to resist the unknown, ND foreign to their known culture and tradition, even though the change would be beneficial.

In today's days an ongoing example of resistance would be gay rights vs. religion.

There are religions that are strongly against homosexuals, and believe it is sinful and against their beliefs. It is understandable the think this way, because religion is like tradition, and has had set rules for a lasting period of time. It is a matter of changing (tweaking) the religion to accept homosexuals, and treat them like any other, as everyone is equal; but this change is resisted by many. Many Anton accept homosexuals because it is not what they are used to, and goes against what they believe.

By accepting

change, they would move in a positive direction for society. Sometimes people resist doing the right thing because they do not know how the outcome would be. If they knew what would come of change, would they still chose to resist? When people learn to resist less, and accept change more, that is when society as a whole can work towards positive moral behavior. When someone chooses to go against what they believe, then expect change. Until then, everyone is resistant; set in their own mindset and traditions.