The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas Rhetorical Analysis

One technique that LeGuin uses in “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” in order to keep the reader's attention is by inviting the reader to imagine what details would make a city “perfect.” In doing so, the reader effectively becomes a part of the story-telling, and forms a connection between the reader and Omelas. To invite the reader to create their version of a utopia, the narrator frequently mentions that they don’t know all the details about Omelas. For instance, the narrator states that “I do not know the rules and laws of their society, but I suspect they were singularly few.” However, the narrator claims that the details do not matter, and they later invite the reader to share their ideas on what would make a perfect society. For example,

Another way LeGuin invites the reader to co-create Omelas is by giving basic descriptions of the society, while not giving specific details. The ambiguity of the descriptions allows the reader to interpret the text in their own way, and create their own unique utopia. One example of this is “Children dodged in and out, their high calls rising like the swallows’ crossing flights over the music and singing.” The narrator uses this simile in order to underline the joy and festive mood of Omelas, while not providing specific descriptions of the children. Due to the lack of detail, the reader may easily imagine someone they know in place of the children and grow more connected to Omelas. This is how LeGuin invites the reader to co-create a perfect society in order to hold the reader’s attention. On the other hand, in “The Ones Who Stay and Fight,” Jemisin maintains the reader’s attention by drawing comparisons between Um-Helat and the modern

The tonal shift allows LeGuin to introduce the mistreated child, which forces the reader to decide whether they would stay in the utopia, or leave into the “darkness,” as it is described in the story. Likewise, in “The Ones Who Stay and Fight,” Jemisin asks the reader “And so, how does Um-Helat exist? How can such a city survive, let alone thrive?” and similarly, “Do you believe, friend? Do you accept the Day of the Good Birds, the city, the joy? No. Is it a sham? Then let me tell you one more thing.” These questions accomplish the same purpose as the questions asked in “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” They force the reader to think about whether they accept that a utopia like Um-Helat was possible, and they allow for key information to be revealed, which shifts the dynamic of the story and exposes the truth of how the society is able to succeed. The key information later revealed in the story raises many other questions for the reader to answer for themselves, which tempts the reader to analyze and better understand the story in order to produce their own answer to the