History YMMV / TheOnesWhoWalkAwayFromOmelas

* MisaimedFandom: Many discussions, in schools and otherwise, discuss the PoweredByAForsakenChild and TheNeedsOfTheMany aspects at face value, as if it were the point of the work. The work itself heavily implies that the tortured child was made up by the narrator for the sake of the reader, and the real point of the work is to [[YouBastard question the reader]] for pessimistically believing that a truly happy society is impossible without it hiding a dark secret. Auntie Ursula herself probably did not realize at first just what impact the story would have. It was published in Creator/RobertSilverberg 's ''New Dimensions'' 3 in 1973 and immediately went viral[[note]]Creator/JamesTiptreeJr 's "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" appeared in the same volume and caused a similar reaction; ''everybody'' in fantasy/sf fandom was talking about it[[/note]]. By 2012 she was delighted to report that the story "has a long and happy career of being used by teachers to upset students and make them argue fiercely about morality." It is one of her most iconic stories, and people know it who don't know anything else by her.

* FridgeHorror: A careful reading of the story reveals that it is never explicitly stated that there is only ONE neglected child within Omelas. There may well be many more, but it is strongly implied that each person in Omelas treats the sole neglected child they personally know about as if it is the only one. It's entirely possible that different people know about different neglected children.

* SlidingScaleOfSocialSatisfaction: Categorized as "Too Happy to Care".

* MisaimedFandom: Many discussions, in schools and otherwise, discuss the PoweredByAForsakenChild and TheNeedsOfTheMany aspects at face value, as if it were the point of the work. The work itself heavily implies that the tortured child was made up by the narrator for the sake of the reader, and the real point of the work is to [[YouBastard question the reader]] for pessimistically believing that a truly happy society is impossible without it hiding a dark secret.

* FridgeHorror / FridgeLogic: It would be impossible to limit all suffering to a single child, as the child plausibly does not only have parents who would be concerned about it, but it is also stated to be ten years old, whereas Omelas is implied to be much older. Furthermore, years without physical human contact, daylight, or proper nutrition and hygiene would eventually cause the child to die. A plausible explanation would be that the child gets switched out with another child once it dies, which would also explain why the narration says that it could be a boy or a girl. So by deeper analysis, the suffering in Omelas is not at all limited to one person, as [[UnreliableNarrator the narration]] states.

* FridgeBrilliance: The idea that a town could become a perfect utopia [[spoiler:just by torturing a single child]] is more implausible than the town just being a happy place... and yet, as the narrator points out, people treat it as "more credible" than the alternative simply because it's more pessimistic.
* FridgeHorror / FridgeLogic: It would be impossible to limit all suffering to [[spoiler:a single child]], as [[spoiler:the child]] plausibly does not only have [[spoiler:parents who would be concerned about it]], but it is also stated to [[spoiler:be ten years old]], whereas Omelas is implied to be much older. Furthermore, [[spoiler:years without physical human contact, daylight, or proper nutrition and hygiene would eventually cause the child to die]]. A plausible explanation would be that [[spoiler:the child]] gets switched out with [[spoiler:another child]] once it [[spoiler:dies]], which would also explain why the narration says that [[spoiler:it could be a boy or a girl]]. So by deeper analysis, the suffering in Omelas is not at all [[spoiler:limited to one person]], as [[UnreliableNarrator the narration]] states.
* ItWasHisSled: The fact that the town is kept happy because [[spoiler:a child is forced to take in all misery]] is very well known.
* MisaimedFandom: Many discussions, in schools and otherwise, discuss the PoweredByAForsakenChild and TheNeedsOfTheMany aspects fully seriously, as if it were the point of the work, when the work itself heavily implies that the [[spoiler:tortured child]] was made up by the narrator for the sake of the reader, and the real point of the work is to [[YouBastard question the reader]] for pessimistically believing that a truly happy society is impossible without it hiding a dark secret.
* {{Squick}}: The description of [[spoiler:the child]]. It has festering sores all over its legs from sitting in its own excrement so long, for starters.
* TrueArtIsAngsty: The story deconstructs the deconstructions of utopian stories that show how perfect societies are really dystopian and adds [[spoiler: the tortured child]] just because the audience can't accept the idea of a truly near-perfect society. In essence, the story asks why we insist on reading dystopian stories and can't accept stories where some people might actually be happy in their communities. The story at the start meanwhile reconstructs utopias, noting that a lot of people can be reasonably happy and true, everyone has a different idea for a utopia, but those stories apparently don't sell.

* FridgeHorror / FridgeLogic: It would be impossible to limit all suffering to [[spoiler:a single child]], as [[spoiler:the child]] plausibly does not only have [[spoiler:parents who would be concerned about it]], but it is also stated to [[spoiler:be ten years old]], whereas Omelas is implied to be much older. Furthermore, [[spoilers:years without physical human contact, daylight, or proper nutrition and hygiene would eventually cause the child to die]]. A plausible explanation would be that [[spoiler:the child]] gets switched out with [[spoiler:another child]] once it [[spoiler:dies]], which would also explain why the narration says that [[spoiler:it could be a boy or a girl]]. So by deeper analysis, the suffering in Omelas is not at all [[spoiler:limited to one person]], as [[UnreliableNarrator the narration]] states.

* AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame: At this point, the plot twist of the work involving the [[spoiler:tortured child]] is probably as well known as the work itself.

* FridgeBrilliance: The idea that a town could become a perfect utopia [[spoiler:just by torturing a single child]] is more implausible than the town just being a happy place...and yet, as the narrator points out, people treat it as "more credible" than the alternative simply because it's more pessimistic.

%%* {{Squick}}: The description of [[spoiler:the child]].

* UnreliableNarrator: Maybe. It's never made clear if the [[spoiler: tortured child]] is real, or if it was something the narrator invented to call out the reader's inability to believe in an actual utopia.

* ItWasHisSled[=/=]AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame: At this point, the plot twist of the work is probably as well known as the work itself. This is probably because the child is a WalkingSpoiler.
* {{Squick}}: The description of the child.
%%* SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome: "They keep walking, and walk straight out of the city of Omelas, through the beautiful gates..."

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Some consider the titular characters cowards; after all, it's not like they do anything to actually ''help'' the child. At most, they're conscientious objectors. It's possible they're forbidden or otherwise unable to do anything more than leave, but the story doesn't say either way.

* AwesomeMoments: "They keep walking, and walk straight out of the city of Omelas, through the beautiful gates..."

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Some consider the titular characters cowards- after all, it's not like they do anything to actually ''help'' the child. At most, they're conscientious objectors.

* WhamLine: The description of the child.

* ItWasHisSled[=/=]AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame: At this point, the plot twist of the work is probably as well known as the work itself.

* WhamMoment: The description of the child.