Would You Walk Away From Omelas?

So, in our last class we talked about more prosidy, such as the different meters—monometer, demeter, trimeter, tetrameter, pentameter, sexameter, heptameter, and octameter. We also talked about the different types of metrical feet. The four types we discussed in class are iambic (da-DUM), trochaic (DUM-da), anapestic (da-da-DUM), and dactyllic (DUM-da-da). Prof. Sexson said that we should expect there to be questions about meter on the test, so make sure you have them straight.

However, I only want to skim over these, because I want to talk about the ones that walk away from Omelas. We were asked the question “If you could create a utopia full of complete and total happiness through the sufferings of one single child, would you do it?” The question, to some, seemed unreasonable. They would kill the child in a heartbeat. However, I am too much of a skeptic to believe that a utopia is actually possible, especially when based upon human suffering. I do not believe that it is in our nature to be constantly happy. In times when peace rules, we create conflict, for we are tired of the same old boring blandness of it all. Would it really be possible, I ask, for the suffering of one to put the whole world at piece?

And yet suddenly it strikes me. Can the unnecessary suffering of one person create a perfect world? Could one blameless sacrifice restore the world to harmony? This sounds like a retelling of another story, a very familiar one to me. Ivan's question about the one child could very well be posed to God. Would you allow one child, your own son, to suffer and die so that humanity could be saved from its wretched existence? Perhaps it's only my hyperactive imagination working here, but I can definitely see a common thread there. So when asked the question I posed at the beginning of the paragraph, I can only say, not here. As to whether I would be able to hold the knife myself? I honestly don't know. I hate hurting other people. I would rather take the pain on myself than inflict it on someone else. But if it was to save the world?

Maybe I could. But that thought scares me more than it should.