Omelas Essay
Omelas and American Society. Disturbingly Futuristic? Nothing in this world is perfect, just as no single person is perfect. You can’t attain perfection in an imperfect world. There can be no light without dark. But in the short story “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” you come across a truly perfect world with a small catch: the suffering of an individual for the happiness of the rest. Of course there are many differences between the two worlds that present themselves easily. However there are a number of similarities between our world and Omelas, similarities that one wishes never existed. The story of Omelas glorifies the differences between our worlds but sheds light on similarities that can be looked at as truly inhumane. The world that we live in can be a terrifying place at times. Global warming threatens the planet every day, our economy is changing consistently and lately our country has been sorrowfully coping through many of the school shootings that have taken place. The city of Omelas represents the ideal utopia; no pain, no sorrow, not a care in the world. It’s easy to see why this is such a realistic dream for any human being. However Omelas is very different from our world. In the beginning of the story, the reader is taken on a marvelous journey through a world that sounds like one that you might read about in a fairytale. Who wouldn’t want to live there? It’s very easy to come to this conclusion; our world is not a utopia. In all honesty, I don’t believe our world could ever truly become one. Suffering is mentioned only once in the story and it’s connected with an individual. Our world is filled with suffering. If it was suddenly abolished, our society would be greatly impacted because it’s a part of life. It may not be joyous but without a little bit of suffering, how would anyone know to celebrate the good times? Besides, we can relate to suffering more. In the quote, “No matter how well the matter has been explained to them, these young