The city of Omelas is a perfect example of a utopia that could come straight out from fairy tale, with the people in town always seeming so happy and always smiling. The description of the city brings out the beauty of the city. However in the city that appears to be a wonderful place, there is the torment of a poor defenseless child. The abuse and as well as neglect. Every one in the city known’s the cruelty that is happening with the child, but no one takes any action to stop it. The abuse of this child is what gives them their happiness and beauty of their city. For some people the inhumane actions that are taken upon the child is to much for them to handle so they decide to leave, “These people go out into the street, and walk down the street alone. They keep walking and walk straight out of the city of Omelas, through the beautiful gate.” but the people that stay continue this tradition of torment.
The child serves a purpose so great for this society that the city tries its best to ignore it. One would think that nothing is worth what the child has to go through, but in this society it is. The author tries to explain that “happiness”, “health of their children”, the “wisdom of their scholars”, and the “kindly weathers of their skies”, “depend wholly on this child’s abominable misery” This child is an example of balance, without it the society would fall apart. Even if the child was “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 prosperity and beauty and delight of Omelas would wither and be destroyed”. This shows that even if this child was treated humanly with love and kindness that the rest of the city is shown the utopia would be destroyed. The pain and suffering of this one child is what allows for this perfect society to exist. This balance of pain and happiness is what allows this city to be a utopia. “The terms...