Ethic of societal happiness and the nature of morality

In The One Who Walks Away from Omelas, Ursula K. LeGuin uses the contrast between the idyllic city of Omelas and the suffering child locked in a basement to explore the ethic of societal happiness and the nature of morality. Omelas is a utopian place of joy, prosperity, and harmony. However, this ideal society is based on the eternal suffering of a single child locked in a basement, this is a moral compromise that challenges the ethics of happiness based on injustice.

Firstly, the place of Omelas is bright, fresh air with dark blue sky, music winding throughout the city streets, filled with festivals, music, and happy citizens. This vivid depiction draws readers into a vision of a perfect society. Later, LeGuin reveals that behind all this prosperity is a suffering child. The child’s suffering is not hidden or accidental but is the foundation of the city’s prosperity. The description of the child’s “feeble-mindedness” and malnutrition emphasizes his suffering and creates a sharp moral contrast between the joy of the citizens and the child.

Secondly, everyone in the Omelas is aware of the child’s situation, and while they feel sadness and anger, they ultimately accept the situation as the least evil on balance. The individual’s right can be sacrificed for the good of the majority. This acceptance reflects utilitarian principles. It criticizes the insensitivity and moral compromise that prioritizes group happiness over individual rights.

Finally, the story’s ending highlights the complexity of morality. Some citizens unable to face their moral and child hardship, choose to leave Omelas. Their departure symbolizes the conflict between personal and social values and the refusal to be complicit, leaving the reader to think about what it means to abandon a flawed system.

Through these elements, LeGuin asks readers to question the morality of happiness built on injustice, urging reflection on societal values and the price of utopia.