The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas Sparknotes

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The Paradox of Life In the story of “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas,” Ursula K. Le Guin illustrates a society that lives underneath a horrible contradiction. The people of Omelas have happy, successful lives only because in the basement of an inconspicuous house, a young child lives in daily despair. The people of Omelas have a selfish disposition that as long as they continue to be happy, whatever happens to the child does not matter. This is a similar concept to today’s society involving natural resources and the Earth itself. In this story Le Guin shows the true, unladen selfishness and apathy of people concerning their own welfare and the dehumanization of someone for personal gain. It is a strict law, that for the prosperity of …show more content…

When the children that are “between eight and twelve” see the child, they “are always shocked and sickened at the sight” (Le Guin 340). These kids are emotionally scarred for life “no matter how well the matter has been explained to them,” and they will continue to be haunted the rest of their life by the paradox that is their life (Le Guin 340). The people of Omelas are selfish not only in the complete disregard and neglect of the miserable child but of their own children. These kids must deal with their “anger, outrage, impotence, despite all explanations” on their own (Le Guin 340). The minors may think over it for “weeks or years,” but they, just like their predecessors, soon learn apathy to the child’s miserableness. This is similar to the apathy people today feel to the “natural resource depletion and pollution” because they know that this must happen to order to receive what they desire, and they have no desire to change it (Pellegrini 1245). Just as there were those who could not accept the apathy of Omelas, there needs to be people “such as the courageous youth” to fight against injustice of this world in any way possible …show more content…

The story poses a question for the community on the value of life itself and their individual perspectives. Likewise, it brings to light their moral ambiguity passed down to their children by seeing the child. The children learn to have apathy of the child by the realization that happiness could only be bestowed on one of them. Similarly, this story mirrors the apathy of the people of today regarding the degradation of natural resources and the damage that could be done because of it to other people and wildlife. This story stands as a testament that it is only by choices and actions do people show their true

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