The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

             A utopian society, in my mind, is one without disease, crime, or poverty. A society in which everyone is happy and free, where everything is perfect. A society in which each person can live in his or her own version of paradise or ecstasy. This of course, is impossible and can only be portrayed in fictional stories such as "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas". But, is Omelas a utopian society? In this paper I will discuss the elements of utopia present in the community of Omelas, the elements that counter utopia in the community of Omelas, my feelings toward the author's description of Omelas, and what the child in the broom closet may possibly symbolize.
             There are definitely strong indications that utopia exists in Omelas. Le Guin begins the short story with a description of Omelas, which fills my mind with images of a kinetic city, with beautiful architecture coupled with green pastures and clear blue lakes and ponds, birds soaring in warm air, brilliant colors and cheerful music, with happy people having fun and preparing for a festival. Her description is that of a Utopian society, everything is perfect and everyone is happy. She goes on to describe the citizens of Omelas, who she insists "are not a simple folk"(pg889), and "are happy"(pg889). These people were "Mature, intelligent, passionate adults, whose lives were not wretched."(Pg890). She describes Omelas as having "all kinds of marvelous devices not yet invented here, floating light sources, fuelless power, a cure for the common cold."(Pg890). These are all elements of a utopian society. She explains that everyone in Omelas is joyous and their lives are fille!
             d with goodness and grace. All of this perfection rests in the hands of one child that looks about six, but is actually around ten.
             This child is a citizen of Omelas and is very unhappy. Every other citizen of Omelas understands "that th...

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The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas . (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 12:31, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/64358.html