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Pathos
Definition of Setting
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Setting
Explanation and Analysis:
Speculative fiction like “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” often uses the concept of “utopia” to dig into ideas about social inequality. A “utopia” is an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or ideal qualities for the people who live there. The term is a compound word that comes from Greek, and it literally means “not-place” or “nowhere.” A utopia is a society in which laws, government, and social conditions are designed to create perfect happiness and harmony among people. The concept of utopia is a benchmark for comparing real-world societies and their ethical and moral deficiencies. This story by Le Guin is set in the fictional city of Omelas, which at first seems like the ideal utopian metropolis.
The story opens during the Festival of Summer, when the city is at its best and is filled with celebration. The atmosphere feels alive and is filled with the joyous sounds of flutes and drums. The sky is blue, the air is warm, and the streets and harbors are full of the sounds of bells and trumpets. Omelas is situated both by the sea and underneath a massive chain of mountains. Everything about the setting is almost too gorgeous to picture, one image of perfection swiftly following the last. The city’s architecture is elegant without being extravagant, making it seem welcoming, pristine, and beautiful. For a place of such perfection, it’s remarkably human-sized and inviting. The streets are alive with people, young and old, all participating in the festival. The setting at the beginning of the story is gleeful and buzzing with excitement. There seems to be no place for fear in Omleas, which is a self-governing and crimeless community. It is quite, quite perfect. Outside its walls there's darkness and the unknown, but inside all is safe, polished, and perfect.
However, the setting of Omelas has a shadowy counterpoint—there’s a basement underneath one of its many pleasant houses where a young child suffers in total isolation. This basement is a necessary evil for maintaining the joy and freedom of the people celebrating above. It is small, dark, and damp, with no natural light. The child who lives there was stolen from its mother without explanation and is forced to live in filth and misery, never knowing why it is being tortured. All of the adults of the city know the child is there, and this knowledge is the “price” of their happiness. The dual realities of Omelas—the sparkling streets and this dismal torture chamber—are key to understanding Le Guin’s argument about the moral compromise that underpins the city’s utopia. While the citizens of Omelas enjoy unparalleled happiness and prosperity, their joy relies entirely on the misery of the innocent child in the basement.
Related Themes:
