The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas Literary Analysis

Would people risk the life of one in order to spare the lives of many? In the small town of Omelas, this happens to be the case. Omelas seems to be the perfect utopian society. The residents of this small town live blissfully without a worry in the world, but for their happiness, there is a catch. The peoples’ happiness is solely dependent upon the unfair imprisonment of a child. Throughout their lifetime, the inhabitants of the city, at least, once visit the cage in which the poor child is held. While most outgrow the traumatic conditions they have witnessed, few are unable to live with the guilt and leave the “utopian” society. In The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, Ursula Le Guin uses point of view, symbolism, and imagery to develop the conflict of the story.

Throughout the whole excerpt, the traditional Festival of Summer is occurring, permitting the author to give the readers an overview of all that is occurring in the ideal town, even in the not so perfect parts. “They all know that it has to be there. Some of them understand why, and some do not, but they all understand that their happiness, the beauty of their city, the tenderness of their friendships, the health of their children…depend wholly on this child's abominable misery,” (pg. 3). Reciting the story in third person enabled the readers to become aware of the acknowledged, yet ignored problem living in the utopian city: the unfairly imprisoned child. The point of view allowed readers to be aware of everything happening in the town, not just focusing on the non-imprisoned residents. Not only did the writer encompass point of view, but she also incorporated symbolism in order to lead up to the conflict of her short