Ursula K. Le Guin’s short tale “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” is a first-person narrative written from the point of view of the narrator who is not directly involved in the events of the story. For mentions of believing what is told, it is prudent to suppose that the narrator does not live in Omelas and that Omelas might not even be a real town, just as this story might or might not be fiction, depending on how you interpret the references to believing what is told. The narrator explores the concepts of omniscience and limited knowledge by creating a situation in which the readers are unable to determine with absolute certainty how much information the narrator knows about Omelas. It appears as though the narrator is making up the story as they go along by employing probability.
Le Guin narrated the story in the first person to give the tale credibility. The first-person point of view develops a connection with the viewer by communicating an instant personal tale. When the reader is immersed in the action on such a personal level, both the story and the teller gain credibility. It is feasible to express a viewpoint while keeping a high level of veracity when a story is delivered in the first person. A narrator offers a narrative through their personal experiences and viewpoints. By generating a sense of intimacy between the reader and the narrator by using “I” in the first-person point of view, the author can subtly influence the reader by delivering a biased account. Using first-person narration heightens the sense of intrigue. Utilizing the first-person perspective limits the reader’s access to information. They are privy exclusively to the narrator’s knowledge and experiences in all facets of life. It is an effective technique for generating suspense and creating interest in narratives, especially thrillers and mysteries.
The story reveals that the seemingly flawless pleasures of Omelas come at a price; for society to function, at least one child must be exposed to regular brutal abuse. By introducing this dilemma, Le Guin pushes the readers to question whether morality or happiness should take precedence (Guin 19). Le Guin employs a particular narrator so that it may serve as a bridge between the realm of Omelas and the world of the audience. The narrator first introduces the reader to the city and then contrasts the moral universe of Omelas with the reader’s own.
The story raises questions as to whether it is morally permissible to sacrifice one person for the good of a greater number of people. The question is raised as a result of one child suffering to give happiness to the rest of the society members. Le Guin indicates her wish for the reader to comprehend that everything comes at a cost, even in the ideal world. Le Guin picked a child to symbolize the victim to stress the tragedy of the situation (Guin 23). In the story, the question of whether it is morally right to deny injustice in order to pursue happiness. The society is not willing to condemn wrong actions with the fear losing the happiness they hold so dear. Those who choose to leave the city experience a moral dilemma due to their choice. They leave their home because they cannot address the vice in the society (Guin 28). They feel powerless to change their society or save the child, so they are forced to run away from reality. Even though they could save the child’s life, they are aware that the child’s ongoing suffering is essential to their city’s survival.
Le Guin goal is to use Omelas to expose the shortcomings of our current capitalistic society and to demonstrate that our socioeconomic system is the foundation of our society. She accomplishes this by drawing comparisons between the residents of the United States and those of Omelas, as well as between the kid who is tortured and the adults and children who endure brutal working conditions in factories that create items for the United States.
Work Cited
Guin, Ursula K. Le. The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. 2nd ed., Creative Education, 1993.