The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, By Ursula Leguin

“The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula LeGuin is a story that starts off on a sunny day. The people in the city live in a utopia society, which can be defined as an ideal perfect place. However ideal means it’s not always true. The city is filled with smiles, music, horses, and parades. The setting seems so amazing that it isn’t real. However, there is an odd situation about this so called “perfect society”. Leguin states, “Do you believe? Do you accept the festival, the city, the joy? No? Then let me describe one more thing.” (Page 446) The author uses this quote to show that there is a twist to the setting and how it may not be so perfect. There is an aphotic secret, underneath the big city hid away in a basement is a child that is
locked away. This child is malnourished, freezing, and defective by the city for them to maintain their happiness. “Some of them understand why, and some do not, 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 weathers of their skies, depend wholly on this child’s abominable misery.” (LeGuin 446) The child of the city is the symbol in the story. The city turns everything to that one child so they can keep their happiness. Without him the town stated that they whole city would go into chaos, and the city would be destroyed. The people of the Omelas believe to live a judgement free life, but they are brutally abusing this child mentally and physically to maintain a perfect life that isn’t morally right to live the utopia lifestyle.