Omelas, the child, and its people who decide to stay or leave are allegories the author has created. That is why the child is the “discrimination of what is necessary.” The question the author leaves behind is, Would you be able to walk away from Omelas? The morally correct answer would be yes, but living by morals does not guarantee your happiness. If you save the child, that will destroy Omelas. In contrast, some decide to leave this paradise. Some people can live with this piece of information, and some cry about it and come to accept it. Some understand why and some don’t”Īt a certain age, the people of Omelas get to know about this child. The book describes the child as “feeble-minded, perhaps it was born defective.” Everyone knows about the existence of the child.
Under the city, in a basement, there is a child caged. People have nothing to worry about or fear-however, all this happiness depends on one condition. It is a place of rejoicing, sex, and wonders. Pronounced as Homme Hélas (Alas Men!) Omelas, unlike any other place, is filled with wealth, food, and happiness. The author chose Omelas as the name of this hypothetical town by merely turning Salem’s(Oregon) city’s name backward. Le Guin, Omelas is a Utopian society or a fairytale town where “the happiness is based on discrimination of what is necessary.” It is a hypothetical enigma of choice between leaving such a place or staying back.
What is Omelas? Where is Omelas? It is not a real place that exists.
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