“The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin exhibits many mythic qualities by incorporating glorified fantasies with grim reality. Omelas is a city made of happily ever afters happy endings, where felicity flows from the foundations of society and is steeped in custom. Although While ignorance coupled with harsh law enforcement do not dictate delight, the happiness of Omelas comes with terms even more awful and absolute. From the loathsome existence of a contemptible child springs the bliss of Omelas. Nevertheless, the rules stand: if but a single act of kindness is extended to the child, all the joy of Omelas would perish in that instant. Yet no solicitude is yielded, for every man, woman, and child knows that such an act would be a terrible thing indeed. Instead they wallow in their helplessness before awesome justice by shedding bitter tears of anger at injustice. So perhaps Omelas is less fantastical than it first reveals itself to be. Moreover, Ursula Le Guin’s uses immaculate descriptions to create a unique utopia, enabled by dystopian elements in her short story, “The Ones …show more content…
The short story very much comments on the pain and suffering humans inherently inflict on themselves and others. Le Guin explains that the phrase “man, alas” (homme hélas in French) can be derived from “Omelas.” Only Implying, in the title, that only the people who spur the unnecessarily harsh customs of human society have a possibility of finding peace within themselves and their community. For in today’s world, most humans only seem to find joy in misery and comfort in agony effectually ignore, incite, and inflict the anguish of others. Alas, “to praise despair is to condemn delight, to embrace violence is to lose hold of everything else. We have almost lost hold”