3. To what extent is Omelas an analogy for our own society? Please discuss and provide examples.
After reading Ursula K Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas", I thought that Omelas, where the author introduces us as a "utopia," is described based on our real world.
In the story, people sympathize with the unfortunate child; however, the only thing they do is just watching. Of course, people who see the child feel something inside their hearts: “disgust … anger, outrage, impotence”(3). Yet, they are frightened of giving a hand to the child because of their constant thought that their “perfect” world would be destroyed. Although it is unknown how their world would change after performing good deed, people never try. Besides, they leave the child live like the way it used to be since it is hard to replace the "happiness of thousands [with] the chance of happiness of one"(4). It is individual's decision of whether one would help the child, keep the city, or run away from the city. The author highlights "being alone" in the end by illustrating those who get along leave the city without forcing anyone (even close ones) to be with them; people make up their own mind whether it's right or wrong.
How do these (disregarding the child’s desolation, protecting one's community rather than single and making own decision) have remarkable resemblances to our real world?
Well, most of us know that Nike had been involved in illegal child labor. (or is it continuous? It has been reported that the company ceased it.) There were about 15,000 children from India and Pakistan who made 70 percent of world's handmade soccer balls. The problem was that they were not paid properly after long hours of work; they earned about 3 cents. 3 cents!!! Now, since we know the fact that buying Nike products would make the children suffer from working too long, are we not going to buy the products from Nike? Well... We cannot suddenly stop purchasing because it will cause serious problems such as unemployment. Thus, we keep doing what we are used to do: shopping at Nike stores. We easily forget the sad truth and move on. We concern more about our economy rather than the working children, and make our own choice of buying the Nike products.
Now, let’s start looking at how both people in Omelas and us are used to escape our remembrance of others’ sadness.
Does everyone throw oneself into others’ problems without hesitation? It is true that we passionately participate in helping those who are in need by donating food and essential supplies, aiding in person, doing charity work, etc. However, when helping others negatively affects our society, we tend to find a way to get out of it. In the past, there were numerous innocent citizens dying in the Middle East because of religious conflict and secretariat violence. Canada and the U.S., the first countries, decided to support and defend the people by sending the troops. Yet, many families of the soldiers were against it; they strongly protested. They knew that sending the troops would create safety and security to the endangered people, but they were frightened that the troops, who were part of their family, would get hurt. Like this, if we are to get disadvantages from being accommodating to others, we give up protecting ones who suffer. Consequentially, we descry ourselves just watching them anguish, hoping that some would survive.
Then, are we doing nothing but watching to maintain our settled relationships amongst community? In school, there would be a number of students who struggle from not having “a” single friend. As a result, some of them commit suicide because of lonesomeness and neglect. Ironically, the solution to this problem is VERY straightforward. Anyone can save them from the depressive loneliness by stretching out one's hand first. How simple is that? However, despite the fact that the solution is easy, people can hardly do it. Instead, we keep aloof from the loners. Maybe it is because of the "bystander effect" which is a tendency to decrease our helping behaviors when others are present, thinking that they would help. Or maybe it is because we do not want to be a “special" person who does something out of the line. We certainly feel sorry for them but we just let them be alone, like people in Omelas. Having a smooth relationship, we are worried that it might be broken if we start associating with the loners. Therefore, we avoid distracting (giving hope to) those who are alone, but rigidly shield ourselves, probably waiting for the others to do the job. To keep our relationships with others, it is better if we stay in our usual groups, and let them be alone as usual.
Everyone has a choice including people living in Omelas. They have an option about whether to continue their ordinary life or save the child. Living in a community where we interact with others, we have different perspectives, thoughts and minds, which result a unique decision. Nobody can order what color of shoes to wear, how much chocolates to eat, which car to buy and so on. Alone, we make our individual decisions. Yes, we might get some ideas and opinions from others, but we are the ones who actually "decide." Like those who walk away from Omelas, we determine which way to go, and build our own future. For instance, there are increasing numbers of (young) mothers who have an abortion because of their deprived environment or some other reasons. People know that it is brutal to kill babies; however, doctors cannot compel the mothers to give a birth to their child. Since it is their baby, the mothers have to carefully make a decision to keep the unborn or not. Whether it is small or big, significant or insignificant problems, we make a choice of our own considering what is best for all; even if it might be wrong, we follow our hearts, mind and final choice.
Throughout Le guin's passage, I have realized how relevant her world and our society is. I was able to reminiscence my past experience, and provide examples relating to the passage. Omelas, where she portrays as a “perfect” city, actually seems like the world that we are living in. Even though it is not exactly the same, I found out that there is an comparable relationship between Omelas and our real world. Acknowledging that we tend to forget others' miserable realities, I have recognized how difficult it is to sacrifice oneself for the others. Also, the fact that we are apt to keep unchanged status of our community, and to be self-determined, I have had a chance to get a hint of what kind of person I am and how I have to become to build a better society.
In the story, people sympathize with the unfortunate child; however, the only thing they do is just watching. Of course, people who see the child feel something inside their hearts: “disgust … anger, outrage, impotence”(3). Yet, they are frightened of giving a hand to the child because of their constant thought that their “perfect” world would be destroyed. Although it is unknown how their world would change after performing good deed, people never try. Besides, they leave the child live like the way it used to be since it is hard to replace the "happiness of thousands [with] the chance of happiness of one"(4). It is individual's decision of whether one would help the child, keep the city, or run away from the city. The author highlights "being alone" in the end by illustrating those who get along leave the city without forcing anyone (even close ones) to be with them; people make up their own mind whether it's right or wrong.
How do these (disregarding the child’s desolation, protecting one's community rather than single and making own decision) have remarkable resemblances to our real world?
Well, most of us know that Nike had been involved in illegal child labor. (or is it continuous? It has been reported that the company ceased it.) There were about 15,000 children from India and Pakistan who made 70 percent of world's handmade soccer balls. The problem was that they were not paid properly after long hours of work; they earned about 3 cents. 3 cents!!! Now, since we know the fact that buying Nike products would make the children suffer from working too long, are we not going to buy the products from Nike? Well... We cannot suddenly stop purchasing because it will cause serious problems such as unemployment. Thus, we keep doing what we are used to do: shopping at Nike stores. We easily forget the sad truth and move on. We concern more about our economy rather than the working children, and make our own choice of buying the Nike products.
Now, let’s start looking at how both people in Omelas and us are used to escape our remembrance of others’ sadness.
Does everyone throw oneself into others’ problems without hesitation? It is true that we passionately participate in helping those who are in need by donating food and essential supplies, aiding in person, doing charity work, etc. However, when helping others negatively affects our society, we tend to find a way to get out of it. In the past, there were numerous innocent citizens dying in the Middle East because of religious conflict and secretariat violence. Canada and the U.S., the first countries, decided to support and defend the people by sending the troops. Yet, many families of the soldiers were against it; they strongly protested. They knew that sending the troops would create safety and security to the endangered people, but they were frightened that the troops, who were part of their family, would get hurt. Like this, if we are to get disadvantages from being accommodating to others, we give up protecting ones who suffer. Consequentially, we descry ourselves just watching them anguish, hoping that some would survive.
Then, are we doing nothing but watching to maintain our settled relationships amongst community? In school, there would be a number of students who struggle from not having “a” single friend. As a result, some of them commit suicide because of lonesomeness and neglect. Ironically, the solution to this problem is VERY straightforward. Anyone can save them from the depressive loneliness by stretching out one's hand first. How simple is that? However, despite the fact that the solution is easy, people can hardly do it. Instead, we keep aloof from the loners. Maybe it is because of the "bystander effect" which is a tendency to decrease our helping behaviors when others are present, thinking that they would help. Or maybe it is because we do not want to be a “special" person who does something out of the line. We certainly feel sorry for them but we just let them be alone, like people in Omelas. Having a smooth relationship, we are worried that it might be broken if we start associating with the loners. Therefore, we avoid distracting (giving hope to) those who are alone, but rigidly shield ourselves, probably waiting for the others to do the job. To keep our relationships with others, it is better if we stay in our usual groups, and let them be alone as usual.
Everyone has a choice including people living in Omelas. They have an option about whether to continue their ordinary life or save the child. Living in a community where we interact with others, we have different perspectives, thoughts and minds, which result a unique decision. Nobody can order what color of shoes to wear, how much chocolates to eat, which car to buy and so on. Alone, we make our individual decisions. Yes, we might get some ideas and opinions from others, but we are the ones who actually "decide." Like those who walk away from Omelas, we determine which way to go, and build our own future. For instance, there are increasing numbers of (young) mothers who have an abortion because of their deprived environment or some other reasons. People know that it is brutal to kill babies; however, doctors cannot compel the mothers to give a birth to their child. Since it is their baby, the mothers have to carefully make a decision to keep the unborn or not. Whether it is small or big, significant or insignificant problems, we make a choice of our own considering what is best for all; even if it might be wrong, we follow our hearts, mind and final choice.
Throughout Le guin's passage, I have realized how relevant her world and our society is. I was able to reminiscence my past experience, and provide examples relating to the passage. Omelas, where she portrays as a “perfect” city, actually seems like the world that we are living in. Even though it is not exactly the same, I found out that there is an comparable relationship between Omelas and our real world. Acknowledging that we tend to forget others' miserable realities, I have recognized how difficult it is to sacrifice oneself for the others. Also, the fact that we are apt to keep unchanged status of our community, and to be self-determined, I have had a chance to get a hint of what kind of person I am and how I have to become to build a better society.
Hi Kelly,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your excellent response! I appreciate that you chose to answer question #3, as you are one of the few students to do so thus far.
Your analysis is strong for a number of reasons. Not only do you cite Le Guin's text directly in order to support your ideas, but you use a wide variety of real-life examples to make your case even more convincing. Much of the discussions about how Omelas reflects our world have centred on economic relationships between our society and foreign ones. You do a good job of incorporating this idea with the Nike sweat-shop example.
However, you manage to think outside the box by providing a number of unique parallels between the way we live and the structure of Le Guin's utopia. Your examples of the war in the Middle East and the social-battlefield in school demonstrate how Le Guin's idea translate into the personal and the political - in addition to the economic.
I urge you to keep thinking of different ways in which 'mini-utopias' are maintained by means of exclusionary practices (just like the utopia of Omelas depends on the exclusion of the child from the happiness enjoyed by everyone else). Your response makes clear that we selfishly try to maintain elements of utopia in our own lives at the cost of others' happiness. How could this principle be applied to racial relations, for example?
- Patrick