EX:1

Le Guin uses the stark contrast between the idyllic city of Omelas and the suffering child to explore the ethics of societal happiness and the nature of morality. In the reading it stated, “They feel disgust, which they had thought themselves superior to. They feel anger, outrage, impotence, despite all the explanations. They would like to do something for the child. But there is nothing they can do. If the child were brought up into the sunlight out of that vile place, if it were cleaned and fed and comforted, that would be a good thing, indeed; but if it were done, in that day and hour all the prosperity and beauty and delight of Omelas would wither and be destroyed.” They were being tested morally on how they felt on the child’s suffering; however,  the ethics of societal happiness have caused them to rethink their morals, as they know they will lose their joy if the suffering goes away.

EX:2

Le Guin uses the stark contrast between the idyllic city of Omelas and the suffering child to explore the ethics of societal happiness and the nature of morality. In the reading it stated,”Often the young people go home in tears, or in a tearless rage, when they have seen the child and faced this terrible paradox. They may brood over it for weeks or years. But as time goes on they begin to realize that even if the child could be released, it would not get much good of its freedom: a little vague pleasure of warmth and food, no real doubt, but little more. It is too degraded and imbecile to know any real joy. It has been afraid for too long ever to be free of fear.” The context of this quote essentially shows how through the explanation of child suffering we see the lack of morality for caring and after a while they realize there’s no point in caring for it because it would suffer if it was released either way. Le Guin explains the ethics of societal happiness by doing this to see the morality of all the young people.

EX:3

Le Guin uses the stark contrast between the idyllic city of Omelas and the suffering child to explore the ethics of societal happiness and the nature of morality. In the reading it stated, “Theirs is no vapid, irresponsible happiness. They know that they, like the child, are not free. They know compassion. It is the existence of the child, and their knowledge of its existence, that makes possible the nobility of their architecture, the poignancy of their music, the profundity of their science. It is because of the child that they are so gentle with children. They know that if the wretched one were not there sniveling in the dark, the other one, the flute-player, could make no joyful music as the young riders line up in their beauty for the race in the sunlight of the first morning of summer.” This quote infers that because of child’s suffering they were able to explore the ethics of societal happiness and the nature of morality by being aware that they get genuine joy from seeing the child suffering. It shows a lack of their morals being remade in a way.

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