Published in 1973, LeGuin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” offers a fantasy of a seemingly perfect society…until you look more closely: Then you discover a more sinister cast. If happiness is so conditional, are the means ever justifiable?
Examine the situation LeGuin presents. How do the story’s details contribute to its effectiveness? Now think about today’s culture: How do people behave IRL (in real life)? How do contemporary cultures resonate with LeGuin’s story? In other words, what dominant U.S. beliefs, or “fantasies,” do we have in our current, complex society? By what actually rather horrible rituals do we strive to maintain their “reality”? Is American culture fair, or is it somehow perverse? (4 pages)
