Future of Society in The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas - Book Report/Review Example

Le Guin states, “I do not know the rules and laws of their society, but I suspect that they were singularly few. As they did without monarchy and slavery, so they also got on without the stock exchange…” (Le Guin). It seems in advancing this notion of government Le Guin is indicating that the society is so well functioning and efficient that it does not need any government structure to regulate anti-social behavior. The story also greatly considers the nature of the individual.

In large regards, it seems to flesh out the notions of the individual as a means of establishing their conscious awareness of the society, as well as their happiness. Consider Le Guin when she writes, “How can I tell you about the people of Omelas? They were not naive and happy children--though their children were, in fact, happy” (Le Guin). In terms of further articulations of the individuals in Omela, Le Guin seems to indicate that in large part they exist in the imagination of the reader.

She poses the society and the city as a sort of hypothetical utopia where the reader is left to fill in aspects from their own imagination. Of course, the most notable aspect of city Omela is the individual that is locked in the basement. The child is described as either feeble-minded or made so through malnutrition and fear. The child is even horrifically described as screaming that it will be good if it is let out. The child is perhaps the most indicative element of the city of Omega as it indicates that even as the individuals in the society enjoy considerable happiness and social cohesion there is still an aspect of their existence that is sinister.

The story also indicates that occasionally an individual will leave Omela after learning the reality of the child’s situation. While it seems in part that Le Guin is making a statement about the nature of scapegoats in society, what one makes of the child in the basement is more a reflection on the individual reader than the story itself. In conclusion, this essay has considered the nature of society and the individual in Ursula Le Guin’s ‘The One’s Who Walk Away From Omelas’.

In terms of society, it’s demonstrated that the text presents a utopian world that is loosely described, allowing the reader to implement their imagination. The individuals are presented as conscious and intelligent.