Both stories take place in a fantasy society which enforces conformity to soul damaging norms. Both stories are didactic, written to teach the reader cautionary lessons about troubling trends in our own society. But their tones differ radically.
Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergemon" is set precisely in the year 2081. Society has gone to absurd lengths to make sure everyone is "equal" and that nobody stands out. This especially means that people have their intelligence, talents, and good looks suppressed so that nobody else will feel inferior. This norm is enforced through violence: apparently anybody brave or intelligent enough to challenge the system is killed. This is a commentary on moves in our own society to "level playing fields" and give people equal opportunity. This future society, however, is so bad nobody would want to live in it.
LeGuin does not set "The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas" in a specific year. It, too depicts a society that has a troubling core: in this case, everyone else's happiness depends on the extreme abuse and neglect of an innocent child. This alternate society is depicted as appealing except for the child. Through it, LeGuin critiques utilitarian philosophy, which argues that the good life is achieved when a society provides the greatest happiness to the greatest number. Utilitarianism is a rationale used in public policy in our society, which is what LeGuin wants us to ponder.
Vonnegut critiques equalitarianism run amok; LeGuin critiques utilitarianism, even if it has not run amok. The stories are both didactic, but the tones are a study in contrast. Vonnegut's tone is madcap, so exaggerated and comic that one could argue he undermines his message, as it is impossible to envision people putting up with the society he describes. LeGuin's tone is serious and quiet, and her story is perhaps more convincing in urging us to think about how our society, in less stark ways, makes similar decisions to Omelas.
In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” the narrator at first describes a utopian community in which all individuals are happy and thriving. In contrast, “Harrison Bergeron” depicts a single couple in their home—one of whom is actively tortured by his handicap in the name of equality. While both texts are dystopian, only “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” describes a utopian existence.
The biggest similarity, of course, is that individuals must suffer in exchange for the happiness of the majority. However, the way in which rebellion is exercised diverges completely.
In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” those who cannot accept the suffering of the child simply leave Omelas, traveling to an undisclosed place. The narrator states plainly that the citizens are given the choice to stay or leave, with no dire consequences should they choose the latter. Their silent protest is peaceful and private.
In contrast, the titular Bergeron escapes from the Handicappers and storms onto a live television broadcast, declaring himself a king in front of the viewing public. In response, the Handicapper General herself assassinates both Bergeron and his ballerina “queen” while the broadcast continues. This swift, deadly punishment suggests a totalitarian government in which detractors must choose between silence or death.
Ultimately, while suffering exists in both short stories, and both stories present a moral dilemma, Le Guin asks us to consider what price we might be willing to pay for happiness, while Vonnegut wonders what we might be asked to sacrifice in the name of noble values.
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