To walk away from a utopian society such as Omelas would be an incredibly arduous decision and I do not believe I could bring myself to give up all the joy that is Omelas. The atrocities being committed on the poor child is a hideous thing that would definitely make me consider leaving but, there is a selfish part of me that could not bare to give up my friends, loved ones and the lifestyle I had become accustom to.
My reaction to seeing the child would likely be the same as described by Ursula K Laguin “They feel anger, outrage, impotence, despite all the explanations.” (La Guin, 3). But I too feel like these feelings would be repressed eventually by the constant distraction of all that is good and magnificent about Omelas. It is easy to say that those people of Omelas are greedy and selfish for not leaving but when it comes down to it you must understand where they are coming from as well. After all everyone is a product of his or her upbringing. The way Ursula states the situation is really an ultimatum, “If the child were brought up into the sunlight out of that vile place, if it were cleaned and fed and comforted, that would be a good thing, indeed; but if it were done, in that day and hour all the prosperity and beauty and delight of Omelas would wither and be destroyed.” (4). It is pretty clear your only options are to stay and try to ignore the hidden reality or leave and not look back, there is no half way or even the ability to deal with the problem, it is just personal choice. This really just represents the choice between a Utopia and a clear conscience. Is the society we live in a type of Utopia (far from Omelas) and our boy inside a closet is the exploited third world countries?
It is also my reliance on the opinion of others especially elders that would influence my decision. If my parents, friends and possibly people I looked up to or admired stayed and explained to me the need for the child I would assume it is just a necessary evil. After all, there is no guilt in Omelas, and I do not believe it is humanly possible to feel guilt all the time. Eventually the guilt may even turn into appreciation for my life and gratitude of the boy’s sacrifice. As La Guin puts it, “There is no vapid, irresponsible happiness.” (4). Eventually it may even just be swept into the corner of my mind where it is rarely thought of.
La Guin’s story really makes you look deep into yourself and reassess your values. I hope this blog entry does not make me seem gutless for not saying I would walk away from Omelas, and I couldn’t say for certain I would stay either but I am trying to be as realistic as possible.
Hi Brandon,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the honest response - you are definitely not gutless for expressing these thoughts. Your analysis is great because you use references to the text (you even cite it directly!) and personal examples to come up with your answer. Unlike many answers to this question, your response considers the personal attachments that you compel you to stay in Omelas. This is a huge factor in how Le Guin's story relates to real-world issues: we often actively forget about the guilt we feel about those we take advantage of because of our own personal dependence on the life-style that these injustices afford us.
What about other reasons for not leaving Omelas? Would this actually address the problem at hand? You outline a number of compelling arguments for remaining in the utopia. On the flip-side of these arguments, can you think of any criticisms of the choice to leave Omelas as a form of protest?
- Patrick