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Happiness And Suffering In 'The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas'

1169 Words5 Pages

Max Gleason
Dr. Wiedmann
English 202-902
12 April 2023
The Ethical Dilemma of Happiness and Suffering
Ursula K. Le Guin’s short story, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” explores and poses many captivating questions about morality and society through the fantastical utopia, Omelas. One such question Le Guin poses is particularly striking–What is the price of utopia? Through powerful symbols such as Omelean society, the suffering child, and the titular Walkers, Ursula K. Le Guin emphasizes the theme of happiness and suffering in “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” ultimately demonstrating that happiness created by suffering is an illusion.
In the beginning, Le Guin paints a picture of the fictitious city of Omelas. Le Guin describes the …show more content…

After the initial description, readers are left to wonder if this utopian city could ever exist. Le Guin highlights this disbelief when presenting Omelas by acknowledging, “Omelas sounds in my words like a city in a fairy tale, long ago and far away,” (Le Guin 2). Omelas is framed to be a perfect utopia from the very beginning of the story, but as Le Guin starts to make Omelas more realistic by adding a cost to this paradise, the story takes a striking turn. Following the midpoint of the short story, Le Guin introduces the reader to the suffering child, the price of Omelas. At this moment, the whole picture of Omelas is revealed, and the symbolic nature of the city becomes evident. Omelas can only exist as a trade-off between happiness and suffering wherein the many are granted happiness from the suffering of one. Due to this price of utopia, the city is symbolic of society under capitalism relying on class division to maintain the lifestyle of …show more content…

“The Utopian Blueprint in "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas."” Wondrium Daily, 24 January 2021, https://www.wondriumdaily.com/the-utopian-blueprint-in-the-ones-who-walk-away-from-omelas/. Accessed 16 March 2023.
Dorsey, Chelsea G. “Marx on “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.”” tsunami: Incensing Transdisciplinary Investigation, Wordpress, 7 April 2016, https://tsunamicnublog.wordpress.com/2016/04/07/marx-on-the-ones-who-walk-away-from-omelas/. Accessed 16 March 2023.
Tearle, Oliver. “'The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas': Key Themes Explained.” Interesting Literature, https://interestingliterature.com/2023/01/ones-who-walk-away-from-omelas-themes/. Accessed 25 March 2023.
Collins, Jerre. “Leaving Omelas: Question of Faith and Understanding.” Short Story Criticism, vol. 69, 2004. Gale Literature Resource Center, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1420056511/GLS?u=milatc_main&sid=bookmark-GLS&xid=7554740f. Accessed 25 Mar.

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