2. Although the people of Omelas are fully aware of the child's suffering, those who remain in Omelas don't seem to feel any guilt. In fact, Le Guin reinforces this in her story. Do you think it's possible to constantly feel guilty about the misery of others? Please explain and provide examples.
I do not think that it is possible for people to constantly feel guilty because eventually they will forget about the misery of others and begin to live their own lives. I believe that the human race is a more selfish kind of creature and will concentrate on what they want in their lives, rather than feel bad for their peers.
An example of this is when people are walking downtown, past homeless people; they always seem to ask us for money or something they are in need of but most of us, including myself, keep on walking. Many people feel guilty as they continue walking by, but soon try to rub that feeling off and go on about their day. People, a greedy kind of species, have learned to get by in life without feeling guilty all the time. It is a good thing for people to feel guilty for some time but eventually we have to forgive ourselves and live our lives.
Hi Jordin,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response! I think you do a good job of analyzing this tough question. It is crucial to use real-world examples (which you do here) in all of our blog assignments. It helps to show how the texts we read in class have implications for the society in which we live. Next time, I would try to include direct references to the text on which the blog-question is based. I know you're keeping Le Guin's story in the background in this analysis, but I would like to see how your real-world example ties into her fictionalized world.
The homelessness example is a good one, especially in relation to Le Guin's text. You are correct to point out that, as individuals, we often let our everyday-concerns get in the way of addressing systemic, societal problems (such as the poverty on East Hastings in Vancouver). Given your answer, do you think that we could hold onto guilt (and possibly do something about the problem) if we were to form groups - to get beyond our concerns as individuals?
- Patrick