Introduction
This essay will analyze the connection of three short stories to this quote, “a gain in knowledge is a loss of innocence…a greater learning about social reality destroys old vertities, and induces uncertainty. Learning about the social world can be a threat”. The three stories are: a good man hard to find, the lottery, and the story of an hour. This quote has relevance in all three tales. (O’Connor, 24)
Body
The quote speaks about the effect of knowledge. It asserts that a gain in knowledge will destroy innocence and perhaps replace it with guilt or wrongdoing. It further asserts that this will destroy tradition and create confusion. In a good man is hard to find, the character called The Misfit questions the existence of God. The Misfit looks at the social reality that Christ did not leave any lingering physical evidence to prove his existence.
This reality has caused him to adopt the philosophy that, “There’s no pleasure but meanness.” (O’Connor, 12) This gain in knowledge has made The Misfit doubts the value of Christian morals and the result is social anarchy as he kills innocent people. In The Story of An Hour, the above quote maintains its relevance. Louise is first saddened by the news of her husband’s death. She quickly realizes that she has become a free woman, “Free, free, free!” (Chopin, 9) The reality of her husband’s death creates a renaissance in her. She realizes that there is no more a “powerful will bending her.” (Chopin, 14) This gain in knowledge disrupts her innocence.
She realizes that she rarely loved her husband. She questions the meaning of love if it is not constant. This is uncertainty. Her greater learning disrupts the stability of society. Instead of being in grief she is overjoyed. She decides to cry at the funeral for the sake of putting on a good display. The third story is The Lottery.
This tale clearly exhibits a struggle between tradition and civility. Information that some towns have dropped the tradition of the lottery creates a sense of disorder. “Nothing but trouble in that,” (Jackson, 25) Old Man Warner said stoutly. “Pack of young fools.” (Jackson, 25) This knowledge of social reality causes some of the town’s members to doubt the relevance of the lottery. “Some places have already quit lotteries.” (Jackson, 26) Mrs. Adams says. This creates anarchy as Tessie Hutchinson is selected as the sacrificial offering. The crowd is hesitant to stone Tessie Hutchinson. Tessie goes against her humble position as a woman. She objects to the lottery tradition. Her friends stone her as she protests at the unfairness of the tradition. This is a threat to the stability of this town. (Jackson, 30)
Conclusion
All three short stories are relevant to the main quote. The Story of an Hour shows the danger that can come with the challenge of tradition. Louise Mallard is overjoyed at her husband’s death. She drops dead when she sees that he is still alive. She realizes that she will have to forfeit her new found freedom and dies from shock. In this case, she challenges the institution of marriage and pays with her life. (Chopin, 30) In A Good Man is Hard to Find, The Misfit challenges the traditions of religion and ends up being a murderer and a robber. (O’Connor, 35) In The Lottery, Old Man Warner warns that changing tradition will only bring disorder.
Tessie is late to the lottery. Tessie tries to change tradition by arguing that the lottery was not fair. She pays with her life when she draws the paper with the black spot on it. It can be argued that fate was punishing her for her rebellion. (Jackson, 30)
Works Cited
O’Connor, Flannery. A Good Man is Hard to Find. New York: Rutgers University Press, 1993.
Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery. Chicago: The Creative Company, 2008.
Chopin, Kate. The Story of an Hour. New York: Perfection Learning, 2000.