Freedom is one of life's many great qualities, but when it is taken away, life may prove to be anything but great. The freedom to think, repent and refuse should be incorporated into daily routines, but in an authoritarian and dystopian society these freedoms are but a dream. When society imposes such attitudes and lifestyles on its citizens, we adapt and accept these demands, but not without compromise. In Shirley Jackson's masterpiece "The Lottery" and Kurt Vonnegut's remarkable story "Harrison Bergeron", human life is so often sacrificed and taken that it becomes a norm in society. It is not possible to force people to agree with someone else's ideology of harmony and success without discarding non-believers. Both dystopian societies exert excessive force on their civilians, with harsh consequences leading to death. Traditional values ​​and laws of dictatorship forcefully overcome the beliefs of the mass population, leading to obedience and respect for the laws of society. By comparing and contrasting the short story "The Lottery" and "Harrison Bergeron", it can be inferred that these societies have strict rules and regulations, the citizens of the society have become so adapted that they are afraid of change, and there is a serious lack of freedom . The short story "The Lottery" reveals a village of 300 inhabitants who gather for a lottery on June 27th each year. The lottery has been held on this day for years and years and has become a classic tradition. The lottery itself is sacred to many of its residents, such as Mr Watson, who says the village in the north is a bunch of crazy young people for removing the lottery. “Listening to young people, for them there is nothing that is good. Next thing you know, they will be deficient...... middle of paper...... story 'Harrison Bergeron', it can be deduced that these societies have strict rules and regulations, the citizens of the society have adapt so much that they are afraid of change and there is a serious lack of freedom. Both environments exhibited uncivilized and inappropriate behavior, with innocent people killed in front of their loved ones. What seemed like an innocent tradition and a harmless government turned out to be the perfect recipe for disaster. Works Cited Jackson, Shirley. The lottery. New York: The New Yorker, 1948. PrintVonnegut, Kurt. Harrison Bergeron. New York: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, 1961. PrintSparkNotes Publishers. "SparkNote on Harrison Bergeron." SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Network. July 11, 2011. SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on the Lottery.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Network. 11 July. 2011.