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Setting
Definition of Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like" or "as," but can also... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often... read full definition
Similes
Explanation and Analysis—One More Thing...:
In this passage, the author employs a simile and foreshadowing to heighten the fairy-tale beauty of the city of Omelas itself, and to introduce a sense of looming darkness:
The crowds along the racecourse are like a field of grass and flowers in the wind. The Festival of Summer has begun.
Do you believe? Do you accept the festival, the city, the joy? No? Then let me describe one more thing.
The simile describing the crowds as "a field of grass and flowers in the wind" evokes a sense of natural beauty and freedom for the reader. The city of Omelas is beautiful, and even its “crowds” are more like flowers than people. The passage conveys a sense of unity and community that’s emotionally appealing, reinforcing the utopian atmosphere of the Summer Festival. Everything is perfect—too perfect.
At this point, the story takes a sinister turn as the narrator shifts to a second-person address. They go from fantastical figurative language to speaking directly to the reader, challenging them with questions: "Do you believe? Do you accept the festival, the city, the joy?" This direct engagement changes the tone of the passage significantly. It clearly suggests that the perfection of Omelas may be too good to be true. The narrator’s tone goes from joyful and excited to ominous, indicating that beneath the surface beauty of Omelas there lies a deeper, darker truth yet to be revealed. The foreshadowing here is important, as it prepares the reader for a shift in the story, one where the cruelty at the heart of this utopia shows itself.
Related Themes:
