The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

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The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas The short story “The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas” written by Ursula Le Guin describes the city of Omelas as a beautiful ideal city to live in where happiness is the purpose of life. However, the happiness for the people of Omelas is based upon a deprived child suffering in a confined basement. The majority of the citizens know of this predicament as many were told at a young age. For this reason, a minority of the townspeople every once in a while question whether their healthy lifestyles are worth it for the sake of the child’s seclusion. Of course, everyone except the secluded child has the choice to either stay in this false city of happiness or to simply walk away from the city to an uncertain more significant hopeful future. Nevertheless, as much as I want to save the child from its misery that action in trying to change the balance of the child’s suffering against the joy of the people is a more complex moral dilemma. Omelas is to be represented as an absolute place of happiness for instance, the citizens can have what they most desire. In addition, the people have good homes, decent jobs, health, the support of family and friends. For these reasons, who wouldn’t want to live in a society where the environment is peaceful? I’m sure a majority of people in today’s world would like to have these living privileges like that of Omelas. However, the glamorous the city is being portrayed in all essence it’s too good to be true as subsequently there are terms to be met. For example, were it not for the secluded child in the basement, these living privileges wouldn’t be available to everyone at all. In my opinion, no society is a perfect as it sounds because there will always be the rich compared to low class people, the successful people with that of those who are struggling to make a decent living. The child in my

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