“They were not simple folk, you see, though they were happy.” This quote from “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin shows that the citizens of Omelas live in a perfect city. Living in this happy town means the suffering of a young child. The young child is stuck in a dark and cold cellar without a kind work spoken to it. It is not acceptable for one to suffer for the sake of others. People of the town know the boy is suffering. People either think the boy suffering is bad or excuse it.
Everyone in Omelas can live in a perfect town as long as a child suffers. A little boy sits in a locked and dark closet alone. The boy has no bathroom so he sits in his own excretions. He has become imbecile from fear, malnutrition, and neglect. No one ever talks to him kindly. Since the little boy suffers the people of Omelas can live perfectly. Even though people know he is in there, they think it is the price to pay to have thousands happy. This is not fair. The child should not have to suffer.
The people know the little boy is suffering for everyone else and will excuse this behavior. People will come and kick him. The people think it is worth this one child suffering for everyone else’s happiness because the child might not even adapt to the sunlight or fit in with the community. They excuse the fact that they are not willing to do anything for the child. The people who are not ok with it leave town. “But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.”
The younger people who see the child and feel guilty about it will still excuse this behavior. “Young spectators are always shocked and sickened at the sight.” The young people feel disgust, which they had felt themselves superior to. They say they would like to do something for the child but say they cannot. They are just not willing to try because of the fear that the child will not even be able to adapt. They think it is not worth the try.
People should not be allowed to make one suffer for others. All people should feel disgusted by the way they are making the child suffer, especially since they know where he is and why. Omelas should not be able to be perfect because of a suffering child. People should know within themselves what is right and what is wrong.