Maddi Durrett

AP English Literature
Troy Pd. 3
January 21, 2015
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas Research Page
A) MLA Citation:
Le Guin, Ursula. The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. The Ones Who Walk Away
from Omelas. Creative Education, 1997. Print.
B) Information about Author:
Ursula K. Le Guin was born in Berkeley, California on October 21, 1929. She was a
novelist and writer of many different forms of literature. She received her Bachelors
degree from Radcliffe College and after that attended Columbia University, where she
received her Masters degree.
C) Synopsis:
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas are the ones that feel guilty for the lonely and
mistreated child. This child is sacrificed to allow the people of Omelas to live a perfect
life in a perfect world. The child (we dont know if its a boy or girl) is kept in a small
room where people can visit anytime they want. It also doesnt get fed properly and sits
in a very dirty and dark room forever until it dies, then another child sacrifice is chosen to
live this horrible life just to make the people happy.
D) Quotation or Significant Idea #1:
Omelas sounds in my words like a city in a fairy tale, long ago and far away, once upon a

time (2).
Discussion/Explanation:
Le Guin builds the town of Omelas up to be a perfect town, which it is, until you
find out about the child sacrifice that she mentions later in the story. The town is
so perfect and everyone is so happy because of this child that is so miserable. She
doesnt mention the child sacrifice until later in the story to make an impact on the
reader about how nothing can be perfect. We think that Omelas is perfect until we
learn that it truly isnt because nothing can actually be perfect.

E) Quotation or Significant Idea #2:

They all know it is there, all the people of Omelas. Some of them have come to see it,
others are content merely to know it is there (5).
Discussion/Experiences:
Everyone that lives in the town of Omelas knows about the child sacrifice but
some are too scared to go see it. Some parents take their children when they are
between the ages of eight and twelve because they think they are old enough to
handle it. Some people dont want to see it because it might scare them or they
might feel guilty and run away like some people end up doing.

F) Quotation or Significant Idea #3:

At times one of the adolescent girls or boys who go to see the child does not go home to
weep or rage, does not, in fact, go home at all. Sometimes also a man or woman much
older falls silent for a day or two, and then leaves home (7).
Discussion/Experiences:
This quote explains that some people can live with the fact that their happiness
and perfect lifestyle is dependent on the suffering of others, while others cant and
refuse to stay in Omelas and escape as soon as possible. I wouldnt be able to live
with the guilt of being free and happy while a child is suffering for no good
reason, so I would escape.