In five pages the religious and social concepts regarding sacrifice are examined as they are portrayed in 'Bartleby the Scrivener' by Herman Melville, A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, and 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. Three sources are cited in the bibliography.
Name of Research Paper File: JL5_JLsacrf.rtf
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to social philosophy and religion. It is expected, for instance, that at certain points in their lives human beings will be obliged to make sacrifices for other members of the
community: parents for their children, for example, or soldiers in times of war. Sometimes the sacrifice is financial, sometimes it requires giving up ones time and energy for others, sometimes
it is necessary to give ones life. In any event, it is accepted in most
cultures that if the community is to maintain a successful social organisation then sacrifices by individuals or groups, for the greater good, must be made at some point. From a
utilitarian perspective, since the greatest happiness of the greatest number is the ultimate goal, it is evident that in order for this to be achieved at least some members of
the community will be allotted only limited happiness. The three works studied, Ibsens A Dolls House,
Jacksons The Lottery and Melvilles Bartleby, all take rather different perspectives on the concept of sacrifice itself and the way in which it is interpreted by different communities. For example,
one of the most essential elements of sacrifice, especially in a religious context, is that the action is performed willingly, and with love: there is no point, after all, in
sacrificing something which is worthless, since that would have no value in terms of an offering. In the story of Abraham and Isaac, one of the most fundamental points of
the tale is that it is the fathers love for his son combined with his willingness to obey God that gives the offering its worth - had Abraham hated or