"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" is the story of a Utopian society whose survival depends on the existence of a child who is locked in a small room and mistreated. The story opens as the celebration of the Festival of Summer is getting underway in the city of Omelas. There is an air of genuine excitement about the festival, with its flag-adorned boats, noisy running children, prancing horses, and "great joyous clanging of …showed first 75 words of 968 total…

…showed last 75 words of 968 total…for the chance of the happiness of one? That is the main intent of this work. Ursula K. Le Guinn is simply throwing her question on to you. The conflict demonstrated by this position is represented by man versus himself when faced with these questions. Choices are presented to us every day that affect our lives; it is what we do with these choices that shape the person we are and the happiness we achieve.