Reading the title “the ones who walk away from Omelas”, the reader could think that the main theme of this science-fiction story contains only a  negative message. 

Actually, by presenting a dystopian society, the author, Ursula Kroeber Le Guin, would transmit to the others a will of change in relation to the nowadays society. 

As a group we put ourselves in the Omelas’ people shoes because we found a strong comparison with our society. In fact, as in the real life the story presents the exploitation of the less privileged citizens thanks to the image of the naked child locked in a cellar. The upper class lives a remarkable and cheerful life ignoring the suffering of the working class, seen as an amount of imbeciles people, incapable to understand that they will never be at their same level.

However, at the end of the story the incredible detail described by the writer is that the only ones who realize the atrocious situation in which humanity is thrown are the adolescents. As a matter of fact, they decide to leave Omelas (imaginary name used to symbolize the evil, probably connected to the real city of Salem) and walk away from there, looking for a better future. 

In conclusion, we all believe that we should open our minds and react to this possible circumstance; so we recommend this short story to everyone because it isn’t to late to comprehend how the world can not never be.

Carlotta Marra

Martina Milella

Beatrice Pintabona

Marisol Serafini 

VCL