The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. LeGuin

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“The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” is a short fictional story written by Ursula K. LeGuin. Although this story contains many realistic characters and setting, there is an overall eerie vibe about the city of Omelas that makes the story unusual. Omelas is described with several vivid details that indicate the city to be a gorgeous place, yet it appears to be a sort of unrealistic utopia. After analyzing the story, it was evident that this story was written about people who are trapped in Purgatory trying to decide where to go next. Although never stated directly, LeGuin wrote this story intentionally about Purgatory, which is made clear by her use of the literary elements: imagery, point of view, and symbolism.
Throughout this short story, there are many instances of imagery that clearly demonstrate the idea of Purgatory being the setting for the story. One of the main images that is reiterated throughout the story is how wonderful, beautiful, and carefree Omelas is. Many descriptive words such as bright, sparkled, decorous, shimmering, and many more describe the scenery. Omelas is filled with gorgeous meadows and houses as well as a sea. With the usage of the many vivid images, a reader is able to picture and imagine what Omelas looks like; for many readers it is the perfect place. However, there is something about this persona that almost seems too beautiful and too eloquent to be true. Hence, why Omelas is Purgatory; a place where people cannot stay forever, therefore it is too good to be true. Not to mention, there is a line in the story that reads as follows, “They keep walking, and walk straight out of the city of Omelas, through the beautiful gates” (734), which paints another image. Although most may read this in a way ...

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...y represents so much more.
Undoubtedly, there is much evidence that supports the claim of the city of Omelas to be Purgatory. Point of view, imagery, and symbolism were all strategically construed in such a way to show that Purgatory is the setting in this story. Though everyone reads a story in different ways, with the previous literary devices justified, it is quite obvious and logical that Ursula K. LeGuin meant for this story to be about the short time before someone decides to either go to heaven or go to hell. Overall, “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” includes unique usage of literary terms in such a way that lead to the overall message LeGuin intended for; Omelas is Purgatory.

Works Cited

Le Guin, Ursula K. “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.” Literature and Ourselves. Ed. Henderson, Gloria Mason, et al. Pearson Education Inc., 2009. 729-734. Print.

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