1)The Hazards of Living in an Apathetic World
2) The story that is told in The Lottery is shocking and horrifying on many levels. It is told in a calm, clear voice and is set up to make the reader feel that these people are living "normal" lives up to the very end. The story lulls the reader into a false sense of security and then rips that security away with just a few statements. Perhaps the most horrific idea that this story presents is how realistic it really is.
A person experiences "normal" people committing acts of violence and not even realizing it. Human kind can be just like sheep in our ability to follow and ask no questions. Take, for example, either of the World Wars. An average man would sign up to participate, seeing it as the "normal" and right thing to do. He would become a soldier and then go into battle, killing the "enemy" without pausing to think of the personal ramifications that would come from killing a person. What of that person's family? What of his hopes, dreams, and plans? All are blown away in an instant with one well-placed bullet. A soldier would take orders from his superiors without a second thought. No questions would be asked as to why he was doing this. He knew he would be looked upon as a hero for years to come, and it was what everyone else was doing, so why break the tradition?
3) Elie Wiesel's speech relates directly to the townspeople in The Lottery. The characters of The Lottery do not seem to place a high value on human life. They see it as just another day. They get up, carry out their morning routine, stone someone, and then have dinner, all without expressing any sort of substantial emotion. They neither hate nor love the Lottery. It is just another tradition to participate in. When Wiesel states in his speech that "...for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbours are of no consequence," he shows the exact attitude that the townspeople have towards each other. They will exchange meaningless pleasantries and even form relationships with their neighbours, but they will just as easily turn around and stone them without a second thought. Therein lies the dangers of indifference. The danger of human kind's ability to kill without thought, or to witness an act of injustice and experience no emotion. This is what Wiesel fights against, and what The Lottery displays so clearly.
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