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The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas Essay

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In Ursula Le Guin's short story, "The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas," the reader views a beautiful and seemingly utopian society. By examining this society's sacrifice for superficial happiness through a scapegoat, one can better understand Le Guin's arguments for the truth in human nature and the existence of good and evil. As the narrator describes a beautiful city surrounded by "...the mountains..." which "...stood up half encircling Omelas on her bay" (250). While the narrator continually reiterates that the "...people of Omelas are happy people," the reader can anticipate something dark is hidden when the narrator exclaims, "Do you believe?...No? Then let me describe one more thing" (250-252). As the citizens become brainwashed to their …show more content…

In other words, the scapegoat is basically like a sacrifice so the masses may continue on. In Le Guin's short story, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," the abandoned and malnourished child left to himself in the basement serves as the scapegoat for this society. One of the themes and primary arguments of Le Guin's piece is that happiness cannot actually be recognized without the presence of evil. These people of Omelas are conditioned in such a way to be extremely appreciative and happy for the simplicity and beauty in each of their lives because they have seen and have been able to compare to the absolute worst case scenario. While each of them feel horrified by this, many of them are either brainwashed, or too cowardly or selfish to help this poor child. Why bring the misery of this child into their world when the entire city can be deliriously happy at the expense of one? While their reasoning is foolish and complicated, Le Guin is able to argue for the selfishness and cowardice of human nature as well as present the theme that happiness cannot be fully recognized without also experiencing

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