The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

Through the course of this paper the author will try to demonstrate, depicting both sides of the argument, the reasons in which a follower of John Stuart Mill 's "Utilitarianism" would disagree with the events taking place in Ursula Le Guin 's "The One 's Who Walk Away from Omelas."

The people who leave Omelas who don’t want to deal with the child’s suffering, they simply cannot justify why it happens, these people can’t live happily knowing that their happiness comes from the cost of another’s humanity. The ones who walk away from Omelas have rejected the terms of this perfect society and walk away.

Due to the desire for a lasting idealistic society, no one entity will ruin the lives of all in order to satisfy one’s wellbeing. Therefore the child goes on being treated as a low-rate animal, lower than livestock. This cowardly behavior is highly despicable, based on the manner perfection is attained. People of Omelas should be able to throw away the false utopia and ultimately save one blameless soul. Innocent children do not deserve illogical suffering in order to preserve a distorted society. The moral responsibility to society is to allow each person to control his/her own life and retain the guaranteed freedom. This child is forced to be the sacrifice for the society without any prior consent. It is cruel fate that the child is forced to suffer for Omelas. The people who leave relieve themselves of the responsibility, while abandoning the child. Their action of leaving brings no changes to Omelas, thus it remains

In both works, “The Ones That Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K Leguin and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the authors show sacrifice. This essay will compare the differences and similarities in the stories, and how these sacrifices add to the fulfillment of their lives, success, and happiness.

First, it is important to define ethics and how its components play an extensive role in our society. The term ethics is defined as “Moral principles that govern a person 's behaviour or the conducting of an activity.” (Oxford); ethical decisions are the ones that per se determine whether or not murder is wrong. Likewise, ethics consists of different ramifications and perspectives from many philosophers. Moreover,

     Ethics is one part of philosophy that will always be studied, and like most subjects in philosophy, will never be viewed the same by everyone. There are so many cultures that have so many different beliefs about the way a person's life should be lived out. Things like religion, poverty, and mental health all contribute to our beliefs in ethics. Some people believe that the mental state of a person or the motive for that person committing a crime should be factors when sentencing time comes. Others think that no matter the situation, a crime is a crime, and no compassion should be felt for the guilty. In the studies of philosophy these beliefs are put into two categories:

America and Omelas alike feel the need suppress guilt. Even though the story says there is no guilt in Omelas, the peoples reaction to the child shows otherwise. Le Guin says that when people go to see the child they are "shocked and sickened at the sight. They feel disgust, They feel anger, outrage, impotence, despite all the explanations. They would like to do something for the child. But there is nothing they can do” (Le Guin 210). This shows the need to suppress guilt because the citizens are so disgusted, yet put the child in the back of their heads to carry on with their own pleasure. Some of the people display their guilt by leaving Omelas because they cannot accept the conditions the child lives in for them to be happy. This is seen in contemporary American culture. On any give major city sidewalk, there are homeless people begging for change. Thousands of other Americans walk by them everyday. They do not give them their change or even a glance because if they do they are giving in to their guilt. Guilt is seen as something that needs to be stuffed deep down in America. If

Omelas is supposed to be the perfect city. It is stated that the people there know no suffering “Joyous! How is one to tell about joy? How is one to describe the citizens of Omelas?” This perfect world makes it difficult to dispute that anyone should leave. Then, we are faced with the more problematic aspects of Omelas. This refers to the suffering child. “To exchange all of the goodness and grace for that single, small improvement…” This aspect of Omelas is appalling to most people. However, not all would be willing to exchange that for the ideal society that is Omelas.

In the second half of The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, a child was introduced. No one knew if it was a he or she, it had no name, no clothing, no one was even allowed to speak to it. This child was stuck in a room to be tortured, in the city of happiness, Omelas. This child’s suffering was the only thing keeping this town’s joy alive. More specifically, Le Guin wrote, “...their happiness, the beauty of their city, the tenderness of their friendships, the health of their children, the wisdom of their scholars, the skill of their markers, even the abundance of

If the child were rescued from its cell-like closet, they say that all city would falter. Omelas city is great happiness, brilliances, and health, its architecture, music, and science, all are dependent on the misery of this one child. These society of this know that if the child were released, then some of them might not have the happiness.” The people have been taught compassion and the terrible reality of justice, and on this they base their lives.” By Usurla Jesus is religious leader revered in Christianity, one of the world's major religions.

The ones who walk away from Omelas believe in equality and fairness among their city. They believe that it is not fair for the citizens to act like they are living a perfect life when they know there is someone that has been suffering, trapped in a room with no human contact for what seems like a countless number of years. When they decide to walk away from Omelas, it is not because they are acting cowardly or trying to avoid helping the young child. These people make this decision to help themselves. Those outcasts who walk away not knowing where they are going are humans that cannot accept the fact that they have been so happy while another person in their same city is miserable.

But there are some who walk away from Omelas. These are few, but they are the ones that have guilt. They could not live in a place, no matter how perfect, that thrives off a child's torment.

In "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" Ursula LeGuin is raising the moral dilemma of justice vs. happiness. The happiness of the citizens in Omelas depends on the suffering of a child locked in a closet. She briefly describes the contrast between the child’s situation and the citizens’ position, portraying a moral dilemma, which is when you have to choose to do one of two equally unpleasant things.

Every action and decision one makes is derived from ethics. In my opinion, ethics is about doing the right thing no matter the situation. Ethics has a lot to do with one’s personal values and it is important due to the fact that it influences the way a person governs their life. I believe being ethical has a lot to do with the way one was brought up and the values that were instilled into them from a young age. My ethical views originated from my upbringing and the lessons my parents taught me. My parents are big believers of always doing the right thing and that mindset got passed onto me. My ethical values shape who I am as a person and impacts the way I go about life. Ethics is extremely important to me because I want to be the best version of myself and with that entails

Many people tend to equate ethics with their feelings. But being ethical is clearly not a matter of followings one’s feelings. Ethics, however, cannot be confined to religion nor is it the same as religion. Being ethical is not the same as following the law. The law often incorporates ethical standards to which most citizens subscribe. But laws, like feelings, can deviate from what is ethical. Finally, being ethical is not the same as doing “whatever society accepts.” In any society, most people accept standards that are ethical. But standards of behaviour in society can deviate from what is ethical. An entire society can become ethically corrupt. Nazi Germany is good example of a morally corrupt society. What then, is