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Essay Prompt

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University Of California Los Angeles

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Essay Prompt: “The Ones Who Walks Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin

Charles Bukowski defines art as an interaction between ‘form’ and ‘spirit.’ In his letter to

John Martin, his publisher, he wrote that “when you come in from the factory with your hands,

and your body and your mind ripped, hours and days stolen from you, you can become very

aware of a false line, of a fake thought, of a literary con game” (Bigna 1). Here, Bukowski tries

to explain why it is important for various artistic elements and principles to be incorporated in

poetry and prose to create intense and compelling artistic forms that capture the attention of the

reader. Therefore, the interplay between ‘form’ and ‘spirit’ in Le Guin’s story creates a visually

compelling piece that expresses the author’s imaginative skill and one that can be appreciated for

its spiritual, emotional power, and moral lesson.

‘Form’ as highlighted by Le Guin’s allegorical short story, is underlined by the use of

symbols and imagery to illustrate the Omelas; a vibrant Utopian civilization. The narrator’s vivid

description of the city and people allows the reader to create a perfect picture of the surrounding

in detail and the characters. For instance, the narrator explains “ the streets between houses with

red roofs and painted walls, between old moss-grown gardens and under avenues of trees, past

great parks and public buildings, processions moved” (Le Guin 314). This description helps the

reader create a blissful and jubilant picture of the Omelas in their mind. Similarly, she describes

the living conditions of the confined child. She explains, the room “has one locked door, and no

window. A little light seeps in dustily between cracks in the boards, secondhand from a

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cobwebbed window... In one corner of the little room, a couple of mops, with stiff, clotted, foul-

smelling heads stand near a rusty bucket” (Le Guin 317). Therefore, the author has a distinct

literal aesthetic which incorporates artistic elements such as imagery to expertly to weave an

intricate pattern between the plot and its theme.

The ’spirit’ is the foundation upon which Le Guin bases her poignant yet captivating

story. She uses an omniscient narrator who drifts from first to the third person when addressing

the readers. The narrator incites deep reactions and ensures the readers can see and experience

emotions from the perspective of the characters in the story. Through ‘spirit,’ the theme and plot

collide, and the reader is at first thrown into a seemingly unimaginable world by an omniscient

narrator with an eternal perspective. From a god-like vantage point, the narrator sees the story

from all angles, hence the author creates a world that the reader is able to envision and

experience even though it seems unreal. For instance, the author reflects, “I wish I could

convince you. Omelas sounds in my words like a city in a fairy tale perhaps it would be best if

you imagined it as your own fancy bids” (Le Guin 315). The narrator describes the abundantly

pleasing city through the statement but still shows awareness that the reader might not be

genuinely convinced about its existence. The technique allows the readers to immerse

themselves in the fictionalized world and experience the events from an all-around point of view.

The literary relationship between ‘form’ and ‘spirit’ is crucial in this story because it acts

as the meeting point between the two narrative components. At the start of the story, the reader

needs to experience the constant utopic and vibrant feeling of the life in Omelas, as well as the

unbelievable happiness, in order to understand the moral dilemma of “the ones who walks away

from Omelas.” The narrator vividly creates a mental picture of the blissful society filled with

serenity and splendour before mentioning the city’s final secret. One unfortunate child has to live

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Surname 1 Student’s Name Instructor’s Name Course Date Essay Prompt: “The Ones Who Walks Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin Charles Bukowski defines art as an interaction between ‘form’ and ‘spirit.’ In his letter to John Martin, his publisher, he wrote that “when you come in from the factory with your hands, and your body and your mind ripped, hours and days stolen from you, you can become very aware of a false line, of a fake thought, of a literary con game” (Bigna 1). Here, Bukowski tries to explain why it is important for various artistic elements and principles to be incorporated in poetry and prose to create intense and compelling artistic forms that capture the attention of the reader. Therefore, the interplay between ‘form’ and ‘spirit’ in Le Guin’s story creates a visually compelling piece that expresses the author’s imaginative skill and one that can be appreciated for its spiritual, emotional power, and moral lesson. ‘Form’ as highlighted by Le Guin’s allegorical short story, is underlined by the use of symbols and imagery to illustrate the Omelas; a vibrant Utopian civilization. The narrator’s vivid description of the city and ...
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Tags: The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas Ursula K Le Guin John Martin Charles Bukowski poem art