Based on “THE ONES WHO WALK AWAY FROM OMELAS”, the Ursula Le Guin’s Story

READ THE BRIEF STORY BELOW:

Based on “THE ONES WHO WALK AWAY FROM OMELAS”, the Ursula Le Guin’s Story

In Ursula Le Guin’s short story, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, a utopian town is depicted where everyone lives in a constant state of happiness. Le Guin stresses that these people are not simple or ignorant, yet they are never afflicted with the worry and distress common in the real world. However, the utopian nature of the town and its prosperity depends on the miserable condition of one small child. This child lives alone in a little closet, deprived of love and understanding. Physically, the child is undernourished, and is constantly hungry. Every inhabitant of Omelas is required to see the child at one point, usually during their early teenage years, and know of its miserable existence. And, the people know that their utopia would fall apart if this small child was not utterly deprived. This is where the dilemma arises. Sometimes, a person, young or old, leaves Omelas and never returns. They may feel sympathy for the child at first, but then this grows into a sickness that overcomes them. The people who choose to leave Omelas possess a strong human emotion that cannot exist in a utopia. That emotion is guilt. With guilt, a person can not be completely happy. Therefore, the people who experience guilt are faced with a problem and must do something to solve that problem. They can walk away from the town and ensure the happiness of the people, or they can help the child, knowing the town of Omelas will forever change. In the story, everyone walks away, leaving the town intact. It is obvious that no option in this situation is without flaw. To leave the town would mean self sacrifice for the benefit of Omelas. To stay would mean self sacrifice for the benefit of the child. To do nothing would be impossible, because one cannot stay in Omelas unless one is perfectly happy. It is certainly not an easy choice. If I were in Omelas, and had knowledge of the child, the same feelings of sickness and disgust would come over me as it had the others when they were forced to view the filthy and grotesque child living alone in a closet. At first, I would imagine an initial shock, as the others had experienced. Then, feelings of guilt would set in, and I would be forced to make a choice. Some seem to deny the guilt exists, thereby remaining in a state of constant happiness. Others are overcome by the guilt, but feel that ruining the perfect town by helping the child would be worse than doing nothing.

WHAT TO WRITE:

1. After reading the story above on what happened in Omelas, you will be able to write this paper, entitled: “MY LIFE AT OMELAS.” You are to assume that you are a resident in Omelas who knows the whole utopian situation, but sacrificing the well-being of the child.

2. Compose your reflection paper with four (4) following paragraph guides below. You are graded on the 4 paragraphs you compose from this guide.

A. What is it to be at Omelas? Describe in a paragraph the situation in Omelas, its utopian lifestyle with the presence of one child who is deprived of everything.

B. Describe your feeling/s at Omelas, like sad, happy, mixed feeling, etc and why you experience such feeling/s? Through your feelings, identify what kind of moral attitudes you may have, relating it to our discussions on egoism (self-centered morality) and utilitarianism (other centered morality). Do you feel happy with Utupian experience? Or Sad? Why? Identify your reason/s?

C. If given a chance to change the whole situations, what will you do? If given a chance to leave or stay at Omelas? Do you want to remain or leave? You now make your decision based on your feelings, your moral stance –either egoism or utilitarianism. Support your decision why you want to stay or leave Omelas? If you remain, why? If you leave, why? But, before leaving, will you do something for the child or not? What action will you take then if any and why? Remember, your action towards the child can deprive the whole village of the utupia they are experiencing right now?

D. Can you justify the consequence of keeping the child in the closet deprived of everything for the sake of the HAPPINESS OF LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN OMELA COMMUNITY? This paper would tell us that egoism and utilitarianism cannot be a MORAL THEORY we need in community, something else necessary—next chapter materials: natural law, duty Ethics and right’s ethics.

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