Short Story Assignment Final
Thomas Morey
Dr. Hampton
Research Draft
April 8, 2015
Analysis of Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” The story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, focuses on the thoughts of living in Omelas, where those who desire perfection envied the cities beauty, peacefulness, and happiness. No citizens exist as a king, nor slaves. Citizens choose their religious beliefs without representation of a clergy. Citizens receive freedom of choice, for very few laws exist. The horses themselves become citizens, for the citizens refrained from restraining horses by halter with bit. Le Guin describes a city as it celebrates a summer festival, the sounds of music flowing through the air as the citizens’ dance and rejoice by singing in praise. A sweetness fills the air as bells ring. “Le Guin has always portrayed “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas,” and its central theme, as a political and moral debate – questioning why some ‘cities’ had excess wealth at the expense of poorer neighbours” (Palmer5). Le Guin creates a theme of the value and responsibility of each person as they live in a perfect world, while the symbolic representation of a young child held in solitude brings the citizens there happiness. The theme generates a central conflict of a people verses themselves in a battle of morality upon deciding the worth of a human life. In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” exist a quite a horrible surprise to such a beautiful utopian society. One human must sacrifice happiness so that others will have peace and happiness, thus creating a theme of the value and responsibility of each person individually. The forsaken child symbolizes the rotten foundation on which their beautiful society rests. This most valuable person in Omelas remains hidden out of sight, untouched by love and lacks the freedom to share in the happiness as normal citizens have. The child must serve a life sentence in loneliness, giving up all happiness in favor of all the other citizens
Dr. Hampton
Research Draft
April 8, 2015
Analysis of Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” The story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, focuses on the thoughts of living in Omelas, where those who desire perfection envied the cities beauty, peacefulness, and happiness. No citizens exist as a king, nor slaves. Citizens choose their religious beliefs without representation of a clergy. Citizens receive freedom of choice, for very few laws exist. The horses themselves become citizens, for the citizens refrained from restraining horses by halter with bit. Le Guin describes a city as it celebrates a summer festival, the sounds of music flowing through the air as the citizens’ dance and rejoice by singing in praise. A sweetness fills the air as bells ring. “Le Guin has always portrayed “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas,” and its central theme, as a political and moral debate – questioning why some ‘cities’ had excess wealth at the expense of poorer neighbours” (Palmer5). Le Guin creates a theme of the value and responsibility of each person as they live in a perfect world, while the symbolic representation of a young child held in solitude brings the citizens there happiness. The theme generates a central conflict of a people verses themselves in a battle of morality upon deciding the worth of a human life. In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” exist a quite a horrible surprise to such a beautiful utopian society. One human must sacrifice happiness so that others will have peace and happiness, thus creating a theme of the value and responsibility of each person individually. The forsaken child symbolizes the rotten foundation on which their beautiful society rests. This most valuable person in Omelas remains hidden out of sight, untouched by love and lacks the freedom to share in the happiness as normal citizens have. The child must serve a life sentence in loneliness, giving up all happiness in favor of all the other citizens