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The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas And The Lottery Analysis

Decent Essays

Many people possess a naturally healthy tendency to see faces in randomness. This phenomenon, known as pareidolia, is the idea that humans are prone to find patterns in chaos. Similarly, as curious creatures, we strive to develop a guide in a life of uncertainty. An inherent aspect of human nature is the desire to establish a purpose for every action and a creed for existence. In addition, we remind ourselves of the flaws that we must abstain from. Such reminders are often found in religions such as Christianity and Hinduism and dystopian literature. Ursula Le …show more content…

Dystopian societies starkly resemble our own. They emphasize the idea that if preventive measures are not taken now, there will be turmoil later. They serve as a reminder that if the weakness and passions of man are pursued, disorder will be fostered.
Ursula Le Guin’s dystopian city of Omelas pursues human weaknesses in which exploitation, greed, and selfishness are the foundations of the story. Le Guin describes the citizens of Omelas celebrating guiltlessly during the Summer Festival as they indulge in religiously undesirable activities. As they roam freely without a cautionary behavioral boundary, they exhibit the chaos and a lack of control that could result from devotional irresponsibility: “If an orgy would help, don't hesitate...Surely the beautiful nudes can just wander about, offering themselves like divine souffles to the hunger of the needy and the rapture of the flesh” (Le Guin 2). Along with promiscuity, Le Guin also implies an influence of drugs, “drooz”, in the citizens’ daily lives. The Omelasian society displays an absence of structure and form.

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