The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas is a short story based on an imaginary society where everything is perfect. The sun is always shining, children and adults walk the streets dancing and singing as they go, and the harbor sparkles as the sunlight hits the water. In the city of Omelas people feel no pain they feel joy and victory instead. While reading this story you must keep in mind all of this is imaginary it does not exist in real life. By definition the city of Omelas would be an example of a utopia, or as defined by Merriam Webster a perfect society all around. However there is a catch. In order for the citizens of Omelas to be this happy and in order for the city to be flawless in every way one poor lonely child must suffer. This one child has no name, its gender is not told, it is feeble and weak. The existence of this child is known by all of Omelas. It is kept in the cellar under one of the most beautiful buildings in the middle of town. People can come see the child for their own eyes. The secret of this one child is told to other children with a coming of age by their parents. In order for the city of Omelas to continue to be a utopia this child must remain in the cellar suffering every day for the good everyone else. Do you still believe Omelas is an example of a utopia? Based on definitions it would be, but is it really if one person has to suffer?
According to the story, all the people that live in Omelas live in complete happiness. Le guin states, In other streets the music beat faster, a shimmering of gong and tambourine, and the people went dancing, the procession was a dance. As they headed towards the Green Fields the crowds sang and danced. This sounds like complete joy. The children ran through the crowds playing as children do. In the Green Fields boys and girls were naked right bareback horses. The horse being the only animal who has adopted our ceremonies as their own (Guin 293). What other society ride horses bareback and celebrate their ceremonies as one with the horses? Even the air in Omelas is perfectly clear. The mountains shined with the perfectly white snow on the top. There was just enough wind to make the banners that marked the racecourse snap and flutter now and then (Guin 294).
Politically Omelas is also an example of a utopia. There were no kings or royal families, no hierarchy of priests or clergy. They governed themselves; there was no democracy or socialism. As they did without monarchy and slavery, so they also got on without the stock exchange, the advertisement, the secret police, and the bomb (Guin 294). These people were not simple people or nave, although they did not live without inventions or innovations. They found true happiness without pain or evil, unlike our modern day society. The technology of Omelas is not known, they couldve had trains or even flying cars. Either way they remained joyous and free of pain.
There is one problem with Omelas however; it can either be a big problem to a few or a small problem to most. This problem of course is the one child in the cellar that must suffer in order for the happiness of the city. It lives on a half-bowl of corn and grease a day (Guin 296). To most people they feel sorry for him, but there is no feeling of guilt in the city of Omelas. To others the image of one child suffering for their happiness bothers them, but there is nothing they can do to help him. They know that if the wretched one were not there sniveling in the dark, the other one, the flute-player, could make no joyful music (Guin 297). Out of the people who feel sorry for the child most continue to live their perfect lives just putting the thought of it in the back of their mind. They do not feel guilty for him because there is no feeling of guilt in Omelas. They feel compassion for the child, and know that because of the thought of him suffering is the reason why they are so caring for their children.
Is Omelas really a utopia? The answer to this question can be both yes and no. Of course it is because of the outside world. It functions without flaw, the people are full of happiness, there is no war, and no problems. However it also is not because according to the definition utopia includes everyone, and everyone is Omelas is not perfectly happy or living a perfect life. There is the only lonely child who must suffer in order for everyone to live their perfect lives. This story proves the point that there is no such thing as a utopia. There will always be at least one person who must suffer for more to remain happy. So what can you do? In the story the people or helpless, they cant help the poor child because then everyone else would suffer too. Is one persons pain worth everyone elses happiness? In the city of Omelas, yes it is. Most go on living their lives even though they feel compassion for the child. For those that simply cannot do this they leave. These few individuals are said to walk out of Omelas heading towards the mountains it is not known where they are going, But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas (Guin 297). Would you be the individual who continues to live your perfect life, or would you give it all up because you are not able to bear the thought of this helpless child suffering? The choice is yours; personally I would walk away from Omelas. In a utopia no one should suffer not even one individual, and if one person must suffer their entire life so I can be happy Id rather live somewhere else.
Works Cited:
* Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 04 Nov. 2011. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/>.\
* Ballenger, Bruce. The Curious Writer. Third ed. Print.
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