The Irony of Life: A Reflection of Omelas
The Irony of Life: A Reflection of Omelas
Michelle Renee Pavone
ENG/125
January 22, 2015
Mrs. Sharon Bronson-Sheehan
The Irony of Life: A Reflection of Omelas
When reading the short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, the initial reaction is one of curiosity. What will happen in this utopian society? How do people live each day? Will these questions be answered?
Opening with Idealism
As the story progresses the reader will recognize the idealistic tone within which the author begins to spin her literary web.
[…] a cheerful faint sweetness of the air that from time to time trembled and gathered together and broke out into the great joyous clanging of the bells. Joyous! How is one to tell about joy? How describe the citizens of Omelas?” (Barnet, Burto, & Cain, 2014, pp. 1316)
Clearly, the author writes of a happy place where the denizens thrive day-to-day in their idealistic world, knowing that the places they frequent within it are safe, welcoming, and never-changing in that regard.
Literary Strategies Continuing through the rich imagery of the story, the mindset within which understanding had begun slowly and methodically changes. A deeper understanding of the author’s meaning begins to form, and a realization dawns that this intricate tale is not about utopianism, but rather it is an understanding that in society, where there is a bright and wonderful surface, there is – inevitably — also a deep, dark underbelly. For one to exist, so too must the other.
[…]but they all understand that their happiness, the beauty of their city, the tenderness of their friendships, the health of their children, the wisdom of their scholars, the skill of their makers, even the abundance of their harvest and the kindly weather of their skies depend wholly on this child’s abominable misery. (Barnet, Burto, & Cain, 2014, pp. 1318)
Relating to Literature
The initial reaction to the short story is one of awe. How much truth can one woman show the world by telling a story
Michelle Renee Pavone
ENG/125
January 22, 2015
Mrs. Sharon Bronson-Sheehan
The Irony of Life: A Reflection of Omelas
When reading the short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, the initial reaction is one of curiosity. What will happen in this utopian society? How do people live each day? Will these questions be answered?
Opening with Idealism
As the story progresses the reader will recognize the idealistic tone within which the author begins to spin her literary web.
[…] a cheerful faint sweetness of the air that from time to time trembled and gathered together and broke out into the great joyous clanging of the bells. Joyous! How is one to tell about joy? How describe the citizens of Omelas?” (Barnet, Burto, & Cain, 2014, pp. 1316)
Clearly, the author writes of a happy place where the denizens thrive day-to-day in their idealistic world, knowing that the places they frequent within it are safe, welcoming, and never-changing in that regard.
Literary Strategies Continuing through the rich imagery of the story, the mindset within which understanding had begun slowly and methodically changes. A deeper understanding of the author’s meaning begins to form, and a realization dawns that this intricate tale is not about utopianism, but rather it is an understanding that in society, where there is a bright and wonderful surface, there is – inevitably — also a deep, dark underbelly. For one to exist, so too must the other.
[…]but they all understand that their happiness, the beauty of their city, the tenderness of their friendships, the health of their children, the wisdom of their scholars, the skill of their makers, even the abundance of their harvest and the kindly weather of their skies depend wholly on this child’s abominable misery. (Barnet, Burto, & Cain, 2014, pp. 1318)
Relating to Literature
The initial reaction to the short story is one of awe. How much truth can one woman show the world by telling a story