Question One: From the story, what do you understand by the term utopia? Does Omelas give the definition?
The term utopia means Omelas even though this one is not lifeless as the word may depict. The author notes that the residents here lives luxurious with full of leisure. People here do not believe in discrimination or even believe on destruction and this is indeed the definition of utopia.
Question Two: What is the narrator’s opinion of Omelas?
The narrator is so sympathetic with the people of Omelas and even going further to name the child’s plight as the source of all compassion in the town. The opinion of the author is that it is very strange or rather unfair to give out the happiness of one person for the sake many. This opinion is the same as of the adults of Omelas.
Question Three: What is the symbolic connotation of the locked, windowless cellar in which the lone child suffers?
The forsaken child is the sole reason why the people of Omelas live in a rotten society. Just as the icon Honoré de Balzac put it “behind every great fortune there is a crime,” and here the crime comes about in that the utopia of Omelas is based on strict conditions. There is no good words spoken a bout the child lest he come out from the unknown place. The people of Omelas will one day come to terms that it is not good to sacrifice one person for the benefit of many. They all know that from the very day that the child will be saved, the plight of all the society will perish. This is an ethical dilemma and the story symbolizes it all. This is why some people are walking out of the city never to come back to avoid the guilt
Question Four: In the story, do you find any implied criticism of our own society?
The author terms the life at Omelas as bad habit. In our societies we have the reach, the poor and the intellectual At times we are found to celebrate pain over pleasure. Just as in this story, the people of Omelas are happy while the miserable child is suffering. The intellectuals and the reach will rejoice even though the poor might be suffering. Just like utopia, some of our society is backwards filled with happy, simple-minded subjects.
Question five: Why do some people refer to the child as “it” in the story.
This is because they want to believe that the lost child is not human. That he/she is sub-human and will never be found. The reason behind this is because on the return of this child, the plight of the all society will be lost and people will begin to live a different low life.
Question six: Why do some people walk away from Omelas?
Some people have realized that whatever they are doing is wrong and their well being in the city is because of one suffering child. Therefore, they have decided to run a way from guilt a waiting. The child is suffering while the whole society is rejoicing and no body want to talk positive a bout the child. Clearly this is a rotten society therefore some people decided not be part of it by running a way and never to return.
