Omelas Symbolism

On June 27th, the residents of a small New England village gather in the town square to conduct the lottery. The lottery is a tradition for the town and the villagers. The town only has roughly three hundred people. Mr. Summers, the officiant of the lottery, brings the black box into the center of the square. Mr. Graves, the postmaster, brings a stool for the black box. Children assemble first, “Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix…” (p. 857). Soon after men gathered in the town square and then women followed. Families got together to be as one during the lottery. As, Mr. Summer’s and
Grave’s stand together with the black box the people await what’s to come. This black box isn’t the original box used for the lottery because the original was lost many years ago. Before, the ceremony begin slips of paper are mixed up with all the families and households in the village. Tessie Hutchinson joins her family at the town square. The people that are there to draw names come up to drawn Bill Hutchinson. Tessie says that this is unfair to her husband, because he didn’t have enough time to select a paper. Tessie continues to press that the lottery isn’t fair. Villagers soon begin to throw stones at poor Tessie. She is hit in the head with a stone. Everyone in the village joins in at throwing stones at her.
Themes found in this story include: the danger of blindly following tradition and the randomness of persecution. The villagers blindly allow the acceptance of the lottery. They allow
Satterfield 2 the ritual of the murder to happen. They feel powerless to change the event and perspective of the outcome. The victim is picked randomly and has no transgression. They just fell into the wrong place at the wrong time. Motifs found within the story include: family and rules. Family bonds at the ritual, but so easily will turn against one another when one family member is the victim. Rules are arbitrarily followed or disregarded. rules the villagers follow suggest that the lottery is an efficient, logical ritual and that there is an important purpose behind it, whereas the rules that have lapsed. Symbols include: the black box and the lottery. The shabby black box represents both the tradition of the lottery and the illogic of the villagers’ loyalty to it. The lottery represents any action, behavior, or idea that is passed down from one generation to the next. The acceptance of the lottery no matter how illogical, bizarre, or cruel.
I did not like the work of this story, it is cruel and so bizarre. No one should be publicly humiliated in front of their friends, family or neighbors. No one should be stoned. It is so wrong. This lottery isn’t like winning the lottery at all. In the end the victim is losing not winning.
“The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”
The utopian city of Omelas during the Festival of Summer; is characterized by its happiness and beauty underscored by its proximity to a sparkling sea.
The entire population of Omelas joins together in various processionals through the city. Young boys and girls in the Green Fields exercise their horses in preparation for the festival race. The city might seem perfect, but it is far from it. Beneath the city lives a nameless child who knows only darkness and squalor. The poor child was chosen by the population to exist as a living sacrifice that allows the rest of the city to live in peace and happiness. The child lives in a tiny, windowless
room
Satterfield 3 underneath one of the beautiful municipal buildings in the city, without any comforts or social interaction save the occasional people who come to gawk at it. Some residents can overcome what the child is going through and live a happy life, while others can bare it and move away.
The theme found in this story includes: society vs.
individualism. Omelas, shows that there is happiness in the society; is valued above that of the child locked up under the city. No other character is treated as an individual. The other characters can be divided into two categories: those who walk away from Omelas and those who don't. This has a huge impact on the effect on the population. The symbolism found in this story includes: the life of the young child. The child lives an awful life to be amusement to the people whom can live a happy life.
This story made me so sad. It was hard for me to read. Knowing that a child could be locked away in a cellar away from all social interaction is truly astonishing. No human being should be treated this way of any kind. Everyone, should have the right to live their life the way they want to and desire.
“The Banality of Systemic Evil”
Peter Ludlow gives an interesting perspective over the recent whistle blowing cases. His focus is over the Chelsea Manning, Aaron Swartz, and Edward Snowden cases that grabbed global attention. The issues of morality and whether the actions taken were justified. This small article gives light to one side emerging from this situation, being the younger generation. Ludlow provides his analysis, the supportive sources from both parties, and the reasons for why his inquiry is appropriate.

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The author seems to be in favor of the new generation dubbed "generation W". Generation W was because of WikiLeaks and the current war on whistle blowing. The authors attitude towards generation W is supportive because he believes the morality within the younger generation has not been lost. These moral principles being implemented it saves society from a dystopian future. A phenomenon known as systemic evil, being what occurs when people play their suggested roles. I found it hard to take in all the information that was given, but I clearly see what the author wanted to prove and show he used generation W to do so.
“Edward Snowden’s Real Impact” This is one of the best arguments I’ve heard in favor of whistleblowing. One of the common arguments I’ve heard against Snowden is that he ignored the procedures given to agency members to protest actions or policies that he feels are against his own moral code. I personally understand why whistleblowers feel such a need to get outside the system. When an organization’s abuses become, systemic individuals are left with a take it or leave it attitude from their supervisors, and it can become very frustrating.
Snowden’s leaks have caused a lot of damage to the U.S. image abroad. That betrayal is felt deeply by those in the defense community, and their united front against a lone whistle blower has allowed them to successfully label him a traitor in the main stream media. Snowden is representing a constituency often overlooked in the intelligence community; the society they represent. I believe it is healthy for the system to deal with these breaches so that the people may have at least a glimpse into what their government is doing in their behalf. Whistle-blowers are

Satterfield 5 the only way the public can hold accountable our security agencies; and until that situation changes whistle-blowers will continue to emerge.