Philosophy is so important in today’s times when many people choose to lose themselves in studies and work. Some parts of the world we live in just encourage shallowness, as social media and the mainstream media just promote sensational themes and topics that do not invite people to think deeply. It is the role of educators in school to encourage students to think deeply about happiness, their life, goals, and dreams.
About what is right or wrong, about truth and lies, about doing the right thing or walking away. And “Those who walk away from Omelas” is a nice philosophical story you can discuss within the class. What’s the story about and what are the main points that invite both educators and students to discuss it?
About the World of Omelas
The story of Omelas is a fascinating one, as it is a dystopia. All dystopian stories just invite everyone to think about the possibilities of living in a world described by the author and what they will do if faced with the same situation. So, Omelas is a city of happiness. Everyone just lives their best life and is filled with a blissful community where nothing bad exists. All people in the community are cultured, they are interested in expanding their knowledge, they are intelligent and they know a lot of things. However, this is possible with the price paid by one child, who is doomed to live in a world full of darkness and misery.
The plot is quite fascinating and it comes with a lot of moral and ethical problems that can be discussed within the classroom. A class discussion should be encouraged by teachers as there are many points that can be talked about. You can ask students to write the ones who walk away from omelas essay where they can explore more about the problem of happiness and what it comes with. There are many examples and essay samples students can access online, as a free service will have some samples they can consult. Discussion in the classroom should always be encouraged, especially when there are some topics that have utter importance during these times.
Some Discussion Question Examples
The story of the city Omelas presents a dystopia that we all need to know and read more about. As an educator, you can encourage a class discussion with students and guide them to think about some crucial topics. But what makes a good discussion about these philosophical themes explored in this story?
There are complicated issues that can be approached and open discussions about the characters, plot twist, and the entire story in “Those who walk away from Omelas” could bring some clarity. For example, you can encourage students to explore the various ways happiness is defined in the story. You can discuss the characters who decide to stay after they find the truth about their happiness and the ones who decide to leave. You can discuss how the boy is described and his condition of living in filth and misery so that the entire city is happy. You can also guide them to explore if it is worth it to be happy at the expense of someone else. Or, you can explore the concept of ignorance and discuss if it would have been better if the citizens of Omelas would not find out about the burden put on the child. There are many topics of discussion that can be approached and you can spark some really fascinating discussions within the classroom.
Final Thoughts
“Those who walk away from Omelas” is a truly fascinating story about a dystopian city where everyone just lives in bliss, where they are sophisticated and intelligent. However, this is at the expense of a child who has to have a life full of misery and darkness. When they are old enough, people find out the truth and some decide to walk away, while others decide to stay. So, there are some really fascinating topics that can be discussed within the classroom. As an educator, you can raise some crucial matters such as happiness, ignorance, or truth. And they can help students get to know themselves better, but also the society we live in.
Author Bio: Helen Birk is a content writer and blogger. She loves philosophy, so she explores a lot of themes in her blog posts. Helen loves writing and surfing.