...In this short story, Le Guin describes the utopian city of Omelas during the Festival of Summer. The city is characterized by its happiness and beauty underscored by its close proximity to a sparkling sea. For the festival, the entire population of Omelas joins together in various processionals through the city. Boys and girls in the Green Fields exercise their horses in preparation for the festival race. Bells clang and people sing and dance so that the city seems alive with music. In Omelas, the people have precisely what they need, and have managed to trim away the more destructive excesses of life. Despite their happiness, the people of Omelas are not simple. They are “mature, intelligent, passionate adults whose lives are not wretched” (2). Their lives are complex and they do not live in an idyllic fairytale, as the description of the city might suggest. In terms of law enforcement and government rule, Le Guin leaves this area vague stating only that there is no military presence within the city, and that the people are not governed by a king. There are no slaves and the laws that govern the city are not outlined, but Le Guin “suspects that [there are] few” (2). Furthermore, the people are free from the tyranny of religious leaders, as the city lacks any priests or oligarchical elements. Sexual mores in Omelas are left to the reader’s imagination. Lu Guin only suggests free love is readily available in the city, where potential lovers wander the streets ready to...
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...Animal Animosity Often times, we reach desperate measures in order to fulfill a necessity. Accordingly, it may or may not be classified as evilness. Either way, desperate times cause for desperate measures. In order to find life-savers, such as cures and treatments, scientists construct experiments using animal testing. Considering the fact that human beings and animals are similar, I do not debunk the idea of using animals in scientific labs. Due to the fact that human beings have amendments that animals do not, animal testing is sufficiently instrumental, because of the their similar living systems, because they do not have the rights and moral judgments that human beings do, and because animal usage incidentally goes on with or without the works of scientist lab experiments. Of course, the accurate way is not at all considerate in animals’ defense, but it is necessary. Lab research is required in order to find cures of common diseases, and animals are the best scapegoat to these experiments. For example, authors of “Animal Testing: Pros and Cons” recorded that chimpanzees share 99% of their DNA with humans, and mice are 98% genetically identical to humans. Because animals and human beings are both mammals, they derived from the same ancestors, and share the same organ system. Genetically, animals are the closest aspects of nature to human beings. As “” states, “even the most supercomputers are unable to accurately simulate the workings of complex organs such as the brain...
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...The Lonesome Death of Emily Emily is a post civil war southern aristocrat. Society deems she stay in her role, however Her nature is to rebel, and her path is one of dying alone in a house filled with bad memories. She has comitted murder in her early years, which paints her as an outcast. Emily is a superficially tragic woman. She is a mystery to the townspeople,who narrate the story. We never completely understand her,but the imagination can do wonders to a situation like that, from a literary standpoint. As far as we know, Emily never indicates having a sibling. The story doesn't mention anything to make s assume she is anything but lonely. There is also no mention of a mother,which could have been a key factor in Emily’s psychosis. The narrator clearly wants us to focus on her being her father’s daughter, and her lonely existence with him as a iving figure in her life,and in death. From all evidence, He continued his hold on her after death. The relation to a fallen relative can truly be a powerful entity in ones further time on this earth. As a living man he kept her from having normal relationships. Friends, lovers he abused her emotionally to the point of eventual homicide.In her mind, there was no escape from this mental prison until she died herself. She was meek, and unable to fight back against his cruelty. This assessment is kind of like blaming the victim though. Of course this is only one point of view, and he shoulders the blame...
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...Deceit of the Utopia: Analysis of “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. LeGuin What is one to make of the city of Omelas? It is a fantastical place so transcendental that the author herself struggles to properly detail its majesty. Omelas has everything— it is beautiful, technologically advanced, and bears no need for organized religion. The atmosphere is rich with music, festivities, and orgies. And even with all this excessive indulgence, the people manage to remain elite: expert craftsman in every art, scholars of the highest caliber, gentle mothers and fathers, and all-around good people. However, all this prosperity comes with a price. The success and happiness of Omelas stems from the immense and intentional suffering of one person: a small child who lives in a dark cellar and is continuously abused and neglected by the citizens. If the child were freed, it would supposedly lead to the destruction of this great city, therefore keeping it there is for the greater good. So who is to be pitied? LeGuinn presents us with a moral crossroads, a true question of ethics that is left open ended. Readers may interpret the text in many ways. They may choose to sympathize with the people of Omelas and agree with the narrator. Or, they may choose to make the revelation that there should be no happiness founded on the misery of others and blindness to truth, and if there is, that happiness is hollow. Omelasian morality seems to be based on the idealistic...
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...happiness of thousands of others? There is a great deal of despair in the life of one nameless child in a city called Omelas. This unfortunate child knows nothing of life, except what small memories it has of sunlight, clean air, kind words, laughter and happiness. This child was the chosen one in Omelas, the utopia where everything is perfect and nothing goes wrong. Taking a look at your surroundings, it gives you a sense of accomplishment and what we take for granted. We take in all of serenity and don’t think twice about it. “Omelas (it’s like) a city in a fairy tale, long ago and far away, once upon a time” (Le Guin 227). How lucky we must be, Omelas is a city full of life, smiles all around, and minimal conflict. The highly anticipated Festival of Summer comes to the city, and all involved are grateful for its presence. The birds flying, harmonic music against the breezy wind. The sound of children, laughing, giggling, playing about, those who are doped up on drugs, making their high, as prioritized as hunger. “One thing I know there is none of in Omelas is guilt” (227). The people of Omelas were joyful, “they were mature, intelligent, passionate adults whose lives were not wretched” (227). The children of Omelas were happy; they were still young and unknowing of the dark side of this utopia and had no reason to show concern. The adults of Omelas knew of the dark side, but blinded their consciousness to the reality and just learned to accept...
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...The omelas was about an imaginary society that seemed to be perfect but towards the end of the story revealed its imperfections. The author talks about a festival where everybody feels free and happy they are riding horses and singing and dancing to music they pose to be worry free. The author then goes to explain that they have a little rules if only a few unlike real life societies who leaders evoke pain and strict rules as a road to happiness. The omela’s are free spirited there life is truly a fairy tale. The main point the author tries to get across is no society is perfect and every good thing comes along with a bad thing in other words life is built on sacrifice. For instance, some people are successful with college degrees while on the other side of town you have people who are not so fortune they have little...
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...Both of these stories begin with a warming description of a beautiful summer day. “Fresh warmth…the flowers were blooming profusely and the grass was richly green.” in the “Lottery” is similar to “Bright air…great water meadow…moss grown gardens under avenues of trees” in “The ones who walk away from Omelas”. Both stories are about communities that are full of joyful and happy citizens. In “…Omelas” it is a festival of summer with dancing in the streets, music, wearing special clothing and great celebrations. Although in the “lottery” there is less happiness in their gatherings, the adults are mostly busy in small talks with each other while the children participating in a game. The main similarity in these two descriptions it...
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...Ursula Le Guin The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas With a clamor of bells that set the swallows soaring, the Festival of Summer came to the city Omelas, bright-towered by the sea. The rigging of the boats in harbor sparkled with flags. In the streets between houses with red roofs and painted walls, between old moss-grown gardens and under avenues of trees, past great parks and public buildings, processions moved. Some were decorous: old people in long stiff robes of mauve and grey, grave master workmen, quiet, merry women carrying their babies and chatting as they walked. In other streets the music beat faster, a shimmering of gong and tambourine, and the people went dancing, the procession was a dance. Children dodged in and out, their high calls rising like the swallows' crossing flights over the music and the singing. All the processions wound towards the north side of the city, where on the great water-meadow called the Green Fields boys and girls, naked in the bright air, with mud-stained feet and ankles and long, lithe arms, exercised their restive horses before the race. The horses wore no gear at all but a halter without bit. Their manes were braided with streamers of silver, gold, and green. They flared their nostrils and pranced and boasted to one another; they were vastly excited, the horse being the only animal who has adopted our ceremonies as his own. Far off to the north and west the mountains stood up half encircling Omelas on her bay. The air of morning was so clear...
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...Traditions VS Happiness In the two short stories “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin, the reader explores similar but different themes. The two authors create two dissimilar short stories based on the same idea, the idea of arrogant people and the traditions that they live in. Jackson and Le Guin show how people are selfish, and they care only for themselves, but they also demonstrate how traditions are affecting people’s lives. Through out these two short stories, the plots determine how the world can abuse innocent people for unnecessary reasons and the fact where traditions can hurt physically or emotionally others. More specifically, the first story presents a small village where...
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...Omelas The short story “The ones who walk away from Omelas” has many symbols in it. A lot of these symbols play a major role in contributing to theme of the story. The symbols are the summer solstice, Colors in the solstice, the birds (Swallows), the flute player, understanding, and of course the child in the cellar. These symbols make the story come together. Without these symbols the story would be incomplete, it would not make sense. When the reader actually takes the time to think about the symbolization in the story, it all comes together. All of the symbols that bring the story together shows that things are not always as perfect as they seem. In this story the author describes the perfect town, the perfect citizens, basically a utopian society. Underneath it all there is evil and things are not perfect. The description of the summer solstice at the beginning of the story symbolizes the light of our consciousness and that it shines more brightly when we are aware of it. The horses symbolize power, grace, beauty, strength, freedom, and nobility. These things could also describe the citizens of Omelas as well. The author describes the people in town in ways that make it seem like they are cheerful people. It talks about the children playing and the people celebrating during the ceremony. This makes it seem like they are happy people. “Their manes were braided with streamers of silver, gold, and green. They flared their nostrils and pranced and boasted to one another; they...
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...Justice? The short fiction “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin is a story on following of what is right, in order to be happy, one must essentially stand up for what is right, even if it means letting go of what one is used to. Omelas is a place where relaxation and joy reign, where there are no kings, slaves, or rules, and the citizens are happy and safe. The residents of Omelas save one child to be confined in a basement or small room. The confined child has no connection with any of the citizens except for the few who are brought to feed or see the child. The citizens of Omelas' happiness depend completely on the fact that this nameless child goes through suffering. “They all know that it has to be there. Some of them understand why, and some do not, but they all understand that their happiness, the beauty of their city...,depend wholly on this child's abominable misery.”(Le Guin) You can see the irony to show the utopian society cannot exist without the suffering of the child, its seen through a simple speaker, the fact that Omelas no longer exists, and the child suffering. The residents of Omelas have the choice to ignore the suffering of a child who is held captive in a cellar, or fight for what’s right and basically leave their homes. A nameless neglected child is kept in a room in Omelas only referred to as an “it” in the story. "three paces long and two wide.”(Le Guin) The room where the child is held, has no window, only a locked door [and...
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..."The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin's The theme of this short story is to make one person suffer for everyone else’s happiness. The people of Omelas could not be happy with out that child being locked in the basement or cellar. The people feel disgusted in what is being done to this child but find it understanding. The people of Omelas have come to accept the fact that they wouldn’t have happiness if the child was out of the basement or cellar. The towns people go and visit this child but do nothing about. Some of the people who visit the child never returns home. They walk towards the mountains in the night, never returning. This town has no rules and no punishment. They run free and do as they please. The point of view of this story is told in 3rd person. It’s about other people. It seems to be a person coming for the outside. The author says for example,” I think that there would be no cars or helicopters in and above the streets.” The author is trying to say that’s what she thinks it would be like. The allegory to some issue today of this story could be compared to corporations and lower to middle class people. Lower to middle class people work for the big corporations, but also buy their products. The people earn their living by working for them but then turn around and buy the products. Another part of the allegory would be people being willing to abandon their morals for their lifestyles. For...
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...The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas Samantha Clements ENG 125 February 18, 2013 The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas is to some people, a very disturbing story; but, it is nothing short of the truth when speaking of today’s society. Can a city really exist where there is nothing but happiness forevermore? No, it cannot, not without consequences; as shown in Le Guin’s story. Good vs. Evil is a definite underlying theme in The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas. The goodness and happiness in the city of Omelas comes only by the misery and sacrifice of an innocent child. Good cannot exist without evil. In this story, the child helps the people of Omelas measure their own happiness; because if the child in the cellar was not so wretched and disgusting, the residents of the city would not be able to appreciate what they have. They do not realize that things outside the city of Omelas are horrible because they cannot comprehend things like disgust, anger, and sickness until they see the child that which provides them with their lifestyle. The child in the cellar represents a way for the people of Omelas to come to terms with their perfection. Another theme that could be taken from this story is man vs. inner self. The city’s people live lives that are, to an extent, care and guilt free. The child’s misery is what the city’s happiness is based off of and the people of Omelas know this, because all children are shown the child at the proper age. The child represent’s the...
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...“Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula LeGuin share many similarities and differences on how society destroys a person physically, emotionally, and mentally. Both the poem and the essay show how society’s expectations can be hurtful to someone. For example, Piercy states, “Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs” (line 11) and “Doesn’t she look pretty? Everyone said. Consummation at last” (lines 24-25). This explains how society made the expectation of the way the girl should look and at the end when there was nothing they could do for her they found her perfect. In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” it states, “It looks about six, but actually is nearly ten. It is feeble-minded. Perhaps it was born...
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...Music is mentioned throughout “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” multiple times. The narrator describes the city during “the Festival of Summer,” where it seems that music plays loudly 24/7. The type of music described is very a cheerful style, which is the opposite of what is going on underneath the city where the little malnourished boy lives in a tool closet for the wellness of the city. The people of the city who all know of the boy, dance to the music and use it to forget about the child suffering for them. The music that plays throughout the story, is a way of distraction for the people; they dance and run around enjoying the perfection of Omelas while the child suffers. Music is a big part of Omelas. Within the first few sentences describing Omelas, the narrator says, “In other streets the music beat faster, a shimmering gong and tambourine, and the people went dancing, the procession was a dance” (531). Everything about that description sounds cheerful and joyous. It is mentioned by the narrator, that the only thing Omelas does not have is guilt. This is partly because everyone who feels guilt leave, the other reason is because of how perfect the city is. How could one feel guilty when they just get to enjoy music and dance around to forget about...
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