There are many different themes in “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”. However, the most prevalent of these themes is that no good can exist without something bad to balance it out. Since Omelas is such a happy city, it could be presumed that a monarchy rules over the kingdom. But, there is no king. One could assume that slavery would the evil undermining the good of Omelas. Slavery, too, does not exist. In fact, Omelas really does seem like the perfect town (1). Any “destructive” technology does not exist in Omelas (2). They only have enough to live comfortable lives. A drug exists, but it is non-habit forming and has no detrimental effects on the health of the citizens of Omelas. Most citizens do not need drugs to be happy, anyway (2).
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For example, we learn the city of Omelas is “…bright-towered by the sea” (1). The harbor is full of tall masts with glittering flags. The processions are full of people of all ages wearing different styles of clothing. In some streets, there is fast-paced, exciting music. The Green Field is described as a “great water meadow” (1). The horses are decorated with colorful streamers (1). The smell of the food at permeates the reader’s mind, and it is almost possible to hear the music of the flute (2). All of this imagery is described using very bright, cheerful language. The language makes the audience feel content, and they envision themselves at a wonderful place such as this. Then, the narrator describes the cellar in which the child is kept. The only light comes from the cracks in the door. There is a rusty bucket and two smelly old mops in one corner. The room is extremely small and cramped; it is basically a closet (3). The language used by the narrator is dark and dismal, which highlights the difference between the Omelas on the surface and the secrets buried underground. The audience feels horrified and no longer thinks of Omelas as the mythical city they were introduced to. While these examples of detail can be used to describe the setting, they also help demonstrate the varying tones of “The Ones Who Walk Away From …show more content…
One is symbolism. The biggest symbol in “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” is the child. The child is a Christ figure. The child is offered as a sacrifice on behalf of the people of Omelas. It must suffer for the benefit of everyone else. The same is true for Christ. Jesus dealt with suffering and death for the benefit of all of humankind. Both Christ and the child are martyrs for others. The child can also represent the selfishness of man. The people of Omelas willingly submit an innocent child to a grueling fate because they do not want to suffer. Man is selfish because he always wants someone else to endure the suffering for them
For example, we learn the city of Omelas is “…bright-towered by the sea” (1). The harbor is full of tall masts with glittering flags. The processions are full of people of all ages wearing different styles of clothing. In some streets, there is fast-paced, exciting music. The Green Field is described as a “great water meadow” (1). The horses are decorated with colorful streamers (1). The smell of the food at permeates the reader’s mind, and it is almost possible to hear the music of the flute (2). All of this imagery is described using very bright, cheerful language. The language makes the audience feel content, and they envision themselves at a wonderful place such as this. Then, the narrator describes the cellar in which the child is kept. The only light comes from the cracks in the door. There is a rusty bucket and two smelly old mops in one corner. The room is extremely small and cramped; it is basically a closet (3). The language used by the narrator is dark and dismal, which highlights the difference between the Omelas on the surface and the secrets buried underground. The audience feels horrified and no longer thinks of Omelas as the mythical city they were introduced to. While these examples of detail can be used to describe the setting, they also help demonstrate the varying tones of “The Ones Who Walk Away From …show more content…
One is symbolism. The biggest symbol in “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” is the child. The child is a Christ figure. The child is offered as a sacrifice on behalf of the people of Omelas. It must suffer for the benefit of everyone else. The same is true for Christ. Jesus dealt with suffering and death for the benefit of all of humankind. Both Christ and the child are martyrs for others. The child can also represent the selfishness of man. The people of Omelas willingly submit an innocent child to a grueling fate because they do not want to suffer. Man is selfish because he always wants someone else to endure the suffering for them