Themes In The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

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In Usula Le Guin’s The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas there is a very clear tone and allegory to some of the things in real life people have to deal with and, sometimes, ignore. The child underneath the city living in distress is there so that everyone else can live a happy, extravagant life in the city above. This story is sure to make the ones reading conflicted and have them look back on their own life, and in their own society, thinking of things they chose to ignore simply because it would inconvenience them. It is also meant to confuse the reader, by forcing them to imagine this grand utopia, only to reveal through a rather depraved twist that their mind’s creation is actually the result of grand evil. The reader is meant to leave this story second guessing everything they know, and it certainly does that well. …show more content…

That is one of the central themes in The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. This theme of selfishness is one most readers can relate to in some way, either through looking at their own actions or the actions of others. To turn a blind eye to something simply because you don’t want to deal with the consequences of helping in that situation is something most people can relate to in some way. When reading the story it is sure to bring back these memories to the reader, perhaps of one time when they saw a car wreck on the side of the road, but chose not to get out and help because they were sure someone else would come by instead. While they might feel bad, as many of the citizens of Omelas do, they don’t want to do anything about it because it would make their life harder, and they’re sure things would get better on their

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