Summary Of Omelas By Le Guin

“There can be no final truth in ethics any more than in physics, until the last man has had his experience and his say” (James 1). This quote from William James uproots the concept of ethics in society entirely. James begins to explain that every man will have his own experience in life, which will end up leading to different opinions about what is moral. According to James, the casuistic question is defined as “ask[ing] what the measure of the various goods and ills [are that] men recognize” (James 1). This question is highly based off experiences. Each man will have a different opinion on what is acceptable and the extent that is tolerable. Throughout Le Guin’s story the theme of experiences influencing morality is consistent as well. “[Some
I believe this is due to their experiences. Le Guin hints at this idea throughout her story when referencing the child in the cellar. She states, “One of them may come and kick the child to make it stand up. The others never come close but peer in at it with frightened, disgusted eyes” (Le Guin 3). This is the beginning of the experiences that influence the ones who walk away from Omelas. I think some citizens choose to kick the child to act as if the child doesn’t really matter. I believe these people are definitely citizens who remain in Omelas and are content with their lives. I think the people who stay away from the child and feel disgusted are candidates for the ones who walk away. Another crucial moment that Le Guin states that may influence the decision to walk away is that “some of them understand why [the boy is in the cellar], and some do not, but they all understand that their happiness, the beauty of their city… depend wholly on this child’s abominable misery” (Le Guin 3). I know the citizens who understand why the boy must be miserable remain in Omelas. The people who cannot understand are more likely to walk away from Omelas. James discusses the concept of “utopias” piggybacking the city’s happiness off the misery of an individual in The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life. After referencing this concept he states, “what except a specifical and independent sort of emotion can it be which would make us
James’ key points are that morality is subjective, morality is based off experiences and that a utopia cannot exist. Le Guin incorporates these points throughout her story. She plays with the idea of subjectivity from the moment she first begins to describe Omelas. She leaves the details of the city of Omelas open-ended, allowing the reader to create their perfect utopia. Le Guin then demonstrates that morality is based off experiences by having some citizens walk away from Omelas while others do not. There are multiple factors that lead up to this decision but Le Guin only briefly describes three. Le Guin also touches on James’s concept that there is no utopia as she advances in describing the city of Omelas. When Le Guin begins her description of the city everything is perfect, happy, ideal. It is the definition of utopia. However, as the reader turns each page new disturbing details about the boy in the cellar are revealed, until eventually the reader learns that people leave Omelas. If the city were a true utopia no one would want to