To further visualize this concept, one may use this example: if an individual believes a lie with enough intensity, no matter how erroneous it is, that statement starts to sound true in his or her head. From this, one might come to the conclusion that the preservation of the child’s despair is so heavily emphasized to make up for the fact that is completely illogical. As Jerre Collins describes in Leaving Omelas: Questions of Faith and Understanding, “The connection between the child’s suffering and the people’s happiness is stressed, yet while the narrator says that the connection can be understood, she advances no details…If the child’s suffering makes sense, that sense is not demonstrated.” (Collins 528). However, what is and what man perceives something to be are two different things. It can be said that the actual misery of this individual in itself is quite pointless, as there is never a concrete explanation given for how it causes Omelas to be such a successful, happy place. This rampant euphoria can be interpreted as merely that, frivolity that does no harm, or it can be seen as a major factor in the citizens’ rationalization of the ongoing pain of the child. Drooz, a type of Omelasian drug, is said to bring, “a great lightness and brilliance to minds and limbs…wonderful visions at last of the very arcane and inmost secrets of the Universe… (1550). Mind-altering substances are also shed in a positive light. In our society, producing a child from fornication is frowned upon and discouraged, but in Omelas it is embraced fully. From this we can see that pleasure in Omelas, no matter how over-the-top, should be celebrated. Take this line, “Let tambourines be struck above the copulations, and the glory of desire be proclaimed upon the gongs, and let the offspring of these delightful rituals be beloved and looked after by all.” (Le Guin 1550). It might even be encouraged, perhaps with the addition of drugs and alcohol. Omelasian morality seems to be based on the idealistic nature of their society. Or, they may choose to make the revelation that there should be no happiness founded on the misery of others and blindness to truth, and if there is, that happiness is hollow. They may choose to sympathize with the people of Omelas and agree with the narrator. Readers may interpret the text in many ways. So who is to be pitied? LeGuinn presents us with a moral crossroads, a true question of ethics that is left open ended. If the child were freed, it would supposedly lead to the destruction of this great city, therefore keeping it there is for the greater good. The success and happiness of Omelas stems from the immense and intentional suffering of one person: a small child who lives in a dark cellar and is continuously abused and neglected by the citizens. However, all this prosperity comes with a price. And even with all this excessive indulgence, the people manage to remain elite: expert craftsman in every art, scholars of the highest caliber, gentle mothers and fathers, and all-around good people. The atmosphere is rich with music, festivities, and orgies. Omelas has everything- it is beautiful, technologically advanced, and bears no need for organized religion. What is one to make of the city of Omelas? It is a fantastical place so transcendental that the author herself struggles to properly detail its majesty. Analysis of “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K.
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