"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" is the story of Omelas, a city where everyone seems to be happy and to live in peace and harmony. Toward the end of the story, however, the narrator reveals that the happiness of Omelas is dependent on the existence of a child who is locked in a small, windowless room and who is abused and mistreated. Although most of the citizens accept the situation, a small number of people leave Omelas forever after seeing the deplorable conditions in which the child lives.
Structure
The story is divided into two fairly distinct sections. In...
Source: Short Stories for Students, ©2013 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.
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