Would you be able to live with yourself if you knew that your happiness depends on the suffering of a child? In the short story “Those Who Walk Away from Omelas,” written by Ursula K. Le Guin in 1973, it is precisely this question that is posed to the reader. When a utopian society is built with a beautiful sea view from any house, something is bound to go wrong. We have learned throughout history that a utopian society does not exist, although many have tried to create their own selfish version of their own vision. utopia always seems to fail. Behind any utopian society, there is always some sort of great sacrifice that is made to keep the utopian society functioning smoothly. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an original essayIn this tragic story, in what seems like a perfect place to be, they have been hiding a young child locked in a cage for years. years with tiny food and water, and left to live in his own filth, the gender is never revealed when referring to the child as such. The little child's suffering is designed to represent how cruel justice can be and how precious happiness in life is. The author also explains that this is no ordinary utopia: there are many lavish parties and festivals, fueled by a lot of alcohol, where mass orgies are held and many religious activities outside temples. This news forces you to stop and ask yourself some very moral and fundamental questions, including: Would you allow yourself to have happiness not only for yourself but for your city as a whole, through the suffering of a child singular? Could it really bring you true happiness, knowing that your happiness is only caused by another person? From a broader perspective, the main and larger theme of this story boils down to the individual versus society. In Omelas, the happiness of society as a whole is valued above that of the child locked beneath the city. No other character is treated as an individual. The other characters can be divided into two categories: those who move away from Omelas and those who do not. This has a homogenizing effect on the population. Would you be able to join a society based entirely on the suffering of a child, would you be able to distinguish the fine line between your happiness and the suffering of others? It is very clear from the beginning of the story that it is fictional, but the author brings the utopia to life in shocking ways as you read. The story suddenly moves from the description of the beautiful utopian society to the suffering of the poor child. The narrator strangely describes: “Do you believe? Do you accept the party, the city, the joy? No? So let me describe one more thing to you. This quote is extremely important because it explains how this poor child's scapegoat is what makes utopia possible, it is also a great example of how happiness is achieved without some form of suffering. The fact that the child and the utopia are so close to each other but so different at the same time is very ironic and a powerful metaphor for exploring how much pain and suffering we feel as people. 'humans are anchored in our DNA. In a broader perspective of this story, you can almost feel how our own human condition has brought us closer to this “imagined” society. In many great historical civilizations, they were rooted on the basis of=)