Tell Tale Heart and the Lotter Essay Example for Free

Tell Tale Heart and the Lotter EssayAmerican writer Henry James believed characters are unless as interesting as their responses to particular situations. The statement he made can be supported by patchy pieces of literature that we have encountered. The way a character reacts to the situation they are placed in can tell a lot about their true character. Two characters were placed in diverse situations in The Tell-Tale Heart written Edgar Allan Poe and The Lottery written by Shirley Jackson reactions will be discussed in this essay. In The Tell-Tale Heart the tenant thought he would get away with the murder he had, but committed cracked under the pressure. Initially when the police offers entered the home he was he was able to make unnecessary his composure, but he slowly started to break. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became much distinctit continued and became more distinct I talked more freely to get ri d of the feeling but it continued and gained definitivenessuntil, at length, I ensnare that the noise was non within my ears. (Poe 390) At this point the man started to hear things in his mind. He was imagining the drubbing of the old mans heart. Prior to his craft the reader probably believed he would get away with the murder.Finally the man can no longer get wind the sound of the old mans heart beating beneath the floor boards. Villains I shrieked, dissemble no more I admit the deedtear up the plankshere, hereit is the beating of his hideous heart (Poe 391) I believe he told the officers about the old mans body because his conscience got to him. If he was like most cold, lusty killers his conscience would not have told him he had done something wrong.In The Lottery when the Hutchinson family initially draws the piece of paper from the old black box, Tessie continually pleads to do the rebuild the drawing of the names. She says, You didnt give him time enough to take any pap er he wanted. I saw you. It wasnt fair(Jackson 267). Even though the drawing of her familys name was done completely fair she tries to come up with some excuse. Even though her whole family, including her children, initially had the potential to be stoned she was the only one who wanted a redrawing done.When Tessies realized she had the paper she did not even try to say goodbye to her family. Most people, even criminals today, would rather happen their last moments saying goodbye to their loved ones. Tessie on the other hand continually said, It isnt fair, it isnt right(Jackson 269). With her continually saying this isnt fair or right this shows she does not believe in the system her townsfolk used. When she first got to the lottery she made a joke about leaving the dishes, as if she was okay with what was about to take place.When her familys name was drawn her true feeling were shown. She obviously did not agree with having a human sacrifice in order to better her towns chances o f having a good harvest. Both the man from and Tessie were placed in some an extremely tense situation, and both reacted in a similar manner. The man cracked under the pressure of killing the old man and Tessie Hutchinson lost her composure when she found out she was the one who would be stoned. Henry James summon of characters are only as interesting as their responses to particular situations was confirmed from the above reading because both of the characters show a different, more interesting, side of themselves when they go about with a predicament.