Essay: Deeper Meaning and Analysis of Ursula K. Le Guin's Omelas Story

This essay provides an analysis of Ursula K. Le Guin's 'The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,' exploring the story's central themes and allegorical nature. The essay examines the concept of scapegoatism within the context of the story, highlighting how the happiness of the utopian society of Omelas is contingent upon the suffering of a single child. It delves into the philosophical underpinnings of the story, referencing William James's thought experiment about sacrificing one individual for the happiness of many. Furthermore, the essay discusses the story's societal critique, drawing parallels between the child's suffering and the disparities in capitalist societies, as well as the relationship between First and Third World countries. The essay highlights Le Guin's narrative choices, particularly her description of the child's environment and the reactions of the citizens of Omelas, emphasizing the ethical dilemmas posed by the story and the significance of individual choices. The essay concludes by discussing the characters who choose to leave Omelas, suggesting they value justice over happiness.

Running head: LE GUIN’S STORY
Le Guin’s Story
Name of Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1LE GUIN’S STORY
In Ursula Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, she was making
efforts to express the underlying hard truths that are prevalent about the human condition
(1973). Due to a prearranged agreement, the society in the story is given complete happiness
and sense of utopia with the agreement that all this could only be available through the
victimization of one child. This child gets chosen from the population to live as a human
scapegoat, the living conditions of the child are described as being barbaric because he lives
in a small, windowless room in the basement of a building. Since we see the child being a
scapegoat, it will be useful to find out what the idea of scapegoatism actually refers to – an
individual that is assigned something instead of another person as is in this case, the child
who is called for the role of suffering in lieu of the rest of the society living in pure
happiness.
Due to this, the child actually serves a big role in the society along with ensuring the
well-being of others in the society. This story’s main framework came from a quote by
William James who had said that if there were a hypothesis given to the people that millions
of people could be ensured permanent happiness on the condition that one lost soul will be
required to live a lonely life filled with torture, how hideous would the enjoyment then
become if it came at a price of someone else’s happiness (Hirsch, 2016). The story is
considered to be highly allegorical because the child in the story suffering in the basement
while everyone in the above ground is living their happiest life is representative of the
contrast of the lifestyle being led by the rich and the poor in our current capitalist society. If a
more macrocosmic view is taken of Le Guin’s story, then the difference between the child
and the society can also represent Third World and First World countries respectively, in
regards to the political and economic systems benefitting the privileged group of people.
Though Le Guin does not express her personal opinions about Omelas, she creates
some characters in her story that are finding themselves unable to handle or deal with the idea

2LE GUIN’S STORY
that their luxurious and happy lives are coming at a price of the pain and suffering of another
innocent individual. Even though the inclusion of these type of characters show her own
critique of the situation, but Le Guin makes sure to leave it completely up to the readers to
form their own opinions (Ramadhani, 2018). Without expressing her personal opinion, it is
obvious from the language that she used for describing the child’s condition that she
definitely viewed it as suffering because she made the child’s living place as dark and almost
as something that was evil.
Once the children learn of the lonely child, they have a feeling of outrage and disgust
and makes efforts to help the child who is suffering. However, after their efforts become
futile, and they eventually learn to reject guilt. Nonetheless, they are not considered as the
ones who walk away; they are the ones that will not learn to feel any empathy towards the
suffering child, and they also will not teach themselves to reject the consequent guilt. Their
decision is to leave Omelas, with already being aware of the fact that this will erode their
level of happiness, because maybe they value justice more than their happiness.

3LE GUIN’S STORY
References:
Hirsch, A. (2016). Walking off the Edge of the World: Sacrifice, Chance, and Dazzling
Dissolution in the Book of Job and Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away
from Omelas”. Humanities, 5(3), 67.
Le Guin, U. (1973). The ones who walk away from Omelas. New Dimensions, 3.
RAMADHANI, A. A. P. (2018). THE EXISTENCE OF OMELAS CITIZEN IN URSULA K.
LE GUIN’S SHORT STORY ENTITLED THE ONES WHO WALK AWAY FROM
OMELAS(Doctoral dissertation, Diponegoro University).