Life In Omelas
Life in Omelas
Ursula K. Le Guin's short story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" describes a Utopian village. The beautiful city of Omelas is described as though it were in a fairy tale. The city has no crime, enemies, and most importantly the citizens have no sense of guilt. Unfortunately the beauty of the city is built upon the torture and abuse of a small child whose suffering serves as a scapegoat for the sins of the city's society. Some of the citizens of Omelas choose to leave the city because they do not wish to partake in the social contract that binds the city to its prosperity. Le Guin uses the themes of the scapegoat and the rite of passage to explore the values of Omelasians.
The first appearance of the scapegoat is the Festival of Summer, Le Guin does not directly state why the celebration is taking place, but the festival is of great significance to the city of Omelas. In medieval Europe Mid-Summer Fire Festivals occur to celebrate the sun, but also to......
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Approximate Word Count: 1021
Approximate Pages: 5 (250 words per double-spaced page)
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