I did not like The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas. It was a twisted story that portrays a society that is 'happy' yet it is clear they are not. They do not smile or show much emotion and seem to be running through the motions of life. They are also aware of a child who is locked up in the community and barely fed and is completely abused. The ending gives hope to those in the society who can't take it and want something better... so they leave. Yet the narrator talks of happiness and how those who leave will be unable to find any. It is a distorted view and I feel that the community is brainwashed into this crazy lifestyle of knowing something is not right but keeping their mouth shut and accepting it. However, I do not understand what the town was gathering for naked and celebrating Summer for?
In Harrison Bergeron, the husband and wife are portrayed as a normal couple watching TV together. Yet, they are living in a society that has dictated everyone to be equal in every facet of life. The beautiful people must wear 'handicaps' and suffer for their assets. The wife is obviously not the smartest and the husband would know this but his 'handicap' makes him less aware because he is constantly distracted. I found this story to be very amusing. It is glorifying less intelligence and unattractiveness which is quite the opposite in our world now.
Just NO! Everything you are saying is making my brain angry.
ReplyDeleteVonnegut DOES NOT "glorify the less intelligent and unattractive" (which you couldn't even phrase in a grammatically correct statement)! He is trying to show us his take on how destructive a completely equal society would be! This is a wold in which people tried to hide their intelligence or any of their talents to avoid punishment or "handicaps".
And "The People Who Walk Away From Omelas" was not just some "twisted story". It was a brilliant representation of our capitalist society. Omelas representing the Core countries (ie. America, England, and so on) and the child talking the place of Peripheral countries. America exploiting the desperation of the least developed countries for cheap labor and its own capital gain.
I can't even sit here and do this because I am so angry that there are idiots out there who could take THAT interpretation away from these stories.
Please, dear LORD, I hope you are not going into any sort of educational career where children would look up to your interpretations of stories and philosophies and such as an opinion that should be envied.
You may do well as a secretary or something. That is all.
lol
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