unit 9 the ones who walk away from omelas by ursula le guin

Unit 9Unit 9• The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

•

• By Ursula Le Guin

Teaching AimsTeaching Aims

• 1. Improving Reading Skills

• 2. Enriching Vocabulary

• 3. Improving Writing skills

Teaching PointsTeaching Points

I. Background knowledge

II. Introduction to the passage

III. Text Analysis

IV. Writing Skills

V. Rhetorical devices

VI. Questions

I. Background KnowledgeI. Background Knowledge

• 1. Ursula K(roeber) Le Guin (1929-)

• American writer of science fiction and fantasy, poet and critical essays. Le Guin has examined large ethical, moral, and social issues in her work and her fame has extended beyond the genre boundaries.

• Her writings force us to re-examine many of the things that we once took for granted, like our cities, our political and social structures, etc. She began writing during the 1950s, but not until the ‘60s did she begin publishing.

• Her fourth novel, The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) won her both the Hugo and Nebula awards. The Tombs of Atuan (1971) won the Newbery Honor Book Citation and The Farthest Shore (1972) won the National Book Award for Children’s Literature.

• In The Word for World is Forest (1972) she uses science fiction to explore contemporary issues like colonialism and the Vietnam War. In an interview with Larry McCaffery the author explains why she likes the science fiction form. She says: “Science fiction allows me to help people get out of their cultural skins and into the skins of other beings.

• In that sense science fiction is just a further extension of what the novel has traditionally been. In most fiction the author tries to get into the skin of another person; in science fiction you are often expected to get into the skin of another person from another culture.”

• Ursula Kroeber: • --- born on October 21, 1929. • --- Her father, Alfred Kroeber, was an

anthropologist, her mother, Theodora, a writer of children's stories

• --- She has three children and two grandchildren.

• ---She is considered a great author, but not a particularly tall one

• She studied literature• --- Bachelor of Arts degree at Radcliffe• --- M.A. from Columbia university, in 1952. • --- awarded a Fulbright fellowship to study i

n France• --- there she met Charles Le Guin, whom s

he later married• --- Mrs. Le Guin now lives in Portland, Oreg

on.

Background KnowledgeBackground Knowledge

• The works:

• A Wizard of Earthsea (1968)

• The Tombs of Atuan (1971)

• The Farthest Shore (1972)

• The Dispossessed (1974)

• The Beginning Place (1980)

Background KnowledgeBackground Knowledge

• LeGuin said she has studied very little hard science. "My science fiction tends to be social science fiction," she said. "But I try not to make mistakes."

Background KnowledgeBackground Knowledge

• Her writing force us to re-examine many of the things that we once took for granted.

• --- cities

• --- political structures

• --- social attitudes

• --- conventional ideas about life

Background KnowledgeBackground Knowledge

• She uses science fiction to explore contemporary issues.

• She explains why she likes the science fiction form.

• She says: “ Science fiction allows me to help people get out of their cultural skins and into the skins of other beings…in science fiction you are often expected to get into the skin of another person from another culture.”.

• 2. William James (1842--1910)

• William James was an original thinker in and between the disciplines of physiology, psychology and philosophy.

• His twelve-hundred page masterwork, The Principles of Psychology (1890), is a rich blend of physiology, psychology, philosophy, and personal reflection that has given us such ideas as “the stream of thought” and the baby's impression of the world “as one great blooming, buzzing confusion”

• It contains seeds of pragmatism and phenomenology, and influenced generations of thinkers in Europe and America

• James made some of his most important philosophical contributions in the last decade of his life. In a burst of writing in 1904–5 (collected in Essays in Radical Empiricism (1912)) he set out the metaphysical view most commonly known as “neutral monism,” according to which there is one fundamental “stuff” that is neither material nor mental. 

• In “A Pluralistic Universe” he defends the mystical and anti-pragmatic view that concepts distort rather than reveal reality, and in his influential Pragmatism (1907), he presents systematically a set of views about truth, knowledge, reality, religion, and philosophy that permeate his writings from the late 1870s onwards.

• James’s fascinating style and his broad culture and cosmopolitan outlook made him the most influential American thinker of his day. His philosophy has three principle aspects---his voluntarism ( 唯意识论 ), his pragmatism ( 实用主义 ), and his “radical empiricism ( 经验主义 )”.

• James’s other philosophical writings include The Will to Believe (1897), Pragmatism (1907), A Pluralistic Universe (1909), The Meaning of Truth (1909), Some Problems in Philosophy ( 1911 ), and Essays in Radical Empiricism (1912).

• 3. Allegory ( 寓言 )

• in literature, is a symbolic story that serves as a disguised representation for meanings other than those indicated on the surface. The characters in an allegory often have no individual personality, but are embodiments ( 化身、体现 ) of moral qualities and other abstractions.

• The allegory is closely related to parable, fable, and metaphor, differing from them largely in intricacy and length. Although allegory is still used by some authors, its popularity as a literary form has declined in favor of a more personal form of symbolic expression.

II. Introduction to the II. Introduction to the PassagePassage

• Type of Writing:

• A piece of allegorical description

Introduction to the PassageIntroduction to the Passage

• The theme:

• What is the nature of happiness and on what it depends ?

Introduction to the PassageIntroduction to the Passage

• Happiness is based on a just discrimination of what is necessary, what is neither necessary nor destructive, and what is destructive.

Introduction to the PassageIntroduction to the Passage

• What is destructive?

• Monarchy

• Slavery

• Stock exchange

• Advertisement

• Secret police

• Bomb

Introduction to the PassageIntroduction to the Passage

• What is neither necessary nor destructive?• Central heating• Subway trams• Washing machines• Beer• Drug---droop• Devices not yet invented

Introduction to the PassageIntroduction to the Passage• What is necessary?

• Beautiful city with avenues, green meadows

• Houses with red roofs gardens

• Citizens were not simple but happy

• Lives were not wretched

• Contentment of life

• Based on the suffering of the child

Introduction to the PassageIntroduction to the Passage

• --- The terrible justice of reality

• --- People accept it

Introduction to the PassageIntroduction to the Passage

• --- In the last para. The writer seems to have some doubts about this.

• --- A few young boys and girls do not accept Omelas and walk away from it.

Introduction to the PassageIntroduction to the Passage

• The last para.

• The writer puts forward the problem but does not supply the answers.

Introduction to the PassageIntroduction to the Passage

• Why are they leaving Omelas?

• Who are these people?

• Where are they going?

• Are they frightened or dissatisfied with Omelas?

• Are they going to found a new utopian city not based on any misery or suffering?

Words and expressionsWords and expressions

• a clamor of bells

• n. 喧闹 , 叫嚷 , 大声的要求• v. 喧嚷 , 大声的要求• clamorous

• adj. 大喊大叫的• clamorously

• adv. 吵闹地 , 鼓躁地

Words and expressionsWords and expressions

• swallow• n.[ 鸟 ] 燕子 , 吞咽 , 喉• vt. 咽 , 淹没 , 吞没 , 取消 , 忍受 , 轻信 , 压

制 , 耗尽• vi. 吞下 , 咽下• swallow-tail• n. 1. 凤蝶 2. 燕尾 3. 燕尾服• swallow-tailed coat• n. 燕尾服

Words and expressionsWords and expressions

• swallow a camel• 默忍难于置信 [ 容忍 ] 的事• swallow an insult• 忍受侮辱 , 忍辱含垢• swallow down• 吞下• swallow the bait• v. 上钩 , 上当

Words and expressionsWords and expressions

• Puritanical• adj. 清教徒的 , 严格的• Puritan• n. 清教徒 adj. 清教徒的• puritanic• adj. 清教徒的 , 严格的• Puritanism• n. 清教 , 清教徒主义• puritanize• v.( 使 ) 成清教徒 , 象清教徒般地行动 , ( 使 ) 举止严谨

Words and expressionsWords and expressions

• in communion with

• 与 ... 有联络， 有共同利害关系

Words and expressionsWords and expressions

• seep[si:p]

• v. 渗出 , 渗漏• seep in 渗入

Words and expressionsWords and expressions

• Cobweb • n. 蜘蛛网 , 蛛丝• cobwebbed• 布满蛛网的； 蛛网状的• cobwebbery• n. 蜘蛛网之形成 , 蜘蛛网之结构• cobwebby• adj. 蛛网似的 , 蛛网密布的

Words and expressionsWords and expressions

• imbecile

• adj. 低能的 , 愚笨的 , 虚弱的• n. 低能者 , 痴呆 , 愚蠢的人• imbecilic

• adj. 低能的 , 愚笨的• imbecility

• n. 低能

III. Text AnalysisIII. Text Analysis• 1. The Ones Who Walk Away from O

melas may be called a piece of allegorical description. Omelas is a fictional city of happiness envisaged ( 正视 ) by the writer. She describes emotionally and colorfully the city of Omelas and its citizens but it is a piece of allegorical description.

• In reality, however, she discourses on a rather provocative ( 煽动性的 ) theme---the nature of happiness and on what it depends. She states her views very clearly in one sentence: “Happiness is based on a just discrimination of what is necessary, what is neither necessary nor destructive, and what is destructive”. What the citizens of Omelas do not have or do not wish to have may be classed as things, which the writer thinks, are destructive of happiness.

• They did without monarchy and slavery; they got on without the stock exchange, the advertisement, the secret police and the bomb; there would be no cars or helicopters; one thing there is none of is guilt; and they do without the clergy and soldiers.

• In the middle category---that of the unnecessary but undestructive---the writer lists the following: central heating, subway trams, washing machines, beer, and even a not habit forming drug like drooz, and all kinds of marvelous devices net yet invented, floating light sources fuelless power, a cure for common cold.

• As for things in the first category that of the necessary the writer doesn’t mention them specifically. We may, however, make a list of the following: a bright-towered beautiful city by the sea surrounded by snowy peaks, a city with shady avenues, lush green meadows, houses with red roofs, painted walls and moss grown gardens.

• The citizens were not simple but happy; they were not naive and happy children but mature, intelligent, passionate adults whose lives were not wretched ( 可怜的、肮脏的、悲惨的 ). They have a feeling of a boundless and generous contentment and the victory they celebrate is that of life. The most important thing on which the happiness of the people of Omelas is based is the misery and suffering of the child in the basement cellar.

• The writer calls this the terrible justice of reality and the people accept it. In the last paragraph, however, the writer seems to have some doubts about this. A few adolescent girls or boys and sometimes an older man or woman do not accept Omelas and walk away from it.

• To strengthen her views on happiness she also sharply criticizes the pedants ( 学究式的人物 ) and sophisticates ( 久经世故的人 ) who consider happiness as something rather stupid. She refutes ( 反驳、驳倒 ) the view that pain is intellectual and evil interesting. She points out evil is banal ( 平凡的、陈腐的 ) and pain is terribly boring. She also says to praise despair is to condemn delight, to embrace violence is to lose hold of everything.

• Finally, to make her Omelas more real and acceptable, she introduces the misery and suffering of a child imprisoned in a basement cellar. The happiness of the many is based on the suffering of a few. This seems to be the pattern of society throughout the world, so the writer describes it as the terrible justice of reality and the people accept it. Yet the writer seems to have her doubts as the final paragraph shows. Omelas is, perhaps, not so perfect after all.

• The whole material may be clearly divided into five parts. Paragraphs 1, 4, 5 and 6 describe the colorful celebrations of the Festival of Summer. Paragraphs 2 and 3 describe the people of Omelas and their (or the writer’s) views on happiness. Paragraph 8 describes the misery and suffering of the child. Paragraphs 9, 10 and 12 describe the attitude of most people and their reactions to the child’s suffering.

• Paragraph 14 describes the different attitude and reactions of a few. Finally, there are manly short paragraphs (2, 7, 11 and 13) which serve to introduce new topics or ideas. These short paragraphs are more effective and forceful than ordinary topic sentences. The writer further punctuates her points by using many rhetorical questions.

• For example, in paragraph 2 she uses the question, “How is one to tell about joy?” to prepare the reader for her provocative views on joy, happiness, pain, evil, etc. The second question states clearly she is going to describe the citizens of Omelas.

• The last paragraph, however, stands out sharply from among all the others. It is the most interesting and thought provoking paragraph. The writer puts forward the problem but does not supply the answers, thus allowing the readers to give free rein to their imagination. Who are these people? Are they idealists, nihilists ( 虚无主义者 ), revolutionaries or perverts? Why are they leaving Omelas? Are they disgusted, frightened, saddened or just dissatisfied with Omelas?

• Where are they going? Are they going to lead a life of seclusion in a monastery ( 修道院 ) or hermitage ( 偏僻的寺院 ) far from this maddening world or are they going to found a new utopian city not based on any misery or suffering or what?

• The writer uses a lot of specific words describing sound and color to paint a verbal picture of the city of Omelas and to describe the joyous celebrations that were being held. Here are a few examples: bright towered, sparkled with flags, red roofs, painted wails, robes of mauve and grey, Green Fields, streamers of silver, gold and green, burned with white-gold fire, sunlit air, dark blue sky, a shimmering of gong and tambourine, a cheerful faint sweetness of the air, joyous clanging of bells, etc..

• Similarly she successfully paints a very vivid and poignant ( 刺激的、辛辣的 ) picture of the misery and suffering of the child. There is also a variety of sentence structure to be found: long periodic or loose sentences with a string of participial phrase modifiers, varied with short powerful sentences, short elliptical sentences, rhetorical questions, absolute constructions, etc.

• Besides these, there are also many figures of speech to be found, such as, similes and metaphor.

• For a fuller explanation of descriptive writing refer to Detailed Study of the Text, point 1 of lesson 7, The Libido for the Ugly.

• 2. With a clamor…by the sea: The loud ringing of the bells, which sent the frightened swallows flying high, marks the beginning of the Festival of Summer in Omelas.

• bright to---red by the sea: Omelas is a port city by the sea. It had white towers that shone bright in the sun.

• 3. The rigging…with flags: The lines and chains on the ships were decorated with flags which were shining in the sun.

• rigging: lines and chains used aboard a ship especially in working sail and supporting masts and spars

• 4. In the sweets…processions moved: a good example of a long periodic sentence ( 圆周句 ( 指主要意义至句尾始明白的句子 )) sentence, preceded by a string of modifiers. The next sentence is a long loose sentence. The writer uses a vast variety of sentence structures.

• 5. In the streets…public buildings: The streets were lined with houses with red roofs and painted walls. Between the houses there were old moss ( 苔藓 ) grown gardens. There were also avenues lined with shady trees. The city had many big parks and public buildings.

• 6. processions moved: This is the main sentence. There were many processions moving through the struts and avenues.

• 7. Some... decorous ( 有礼貌的 ): The main sentence of a long loose sentence. Some of the processions were marked by propriety ( 适当 ) and good taste.

• 8. old people ... they walked: These processions were decorous because they were made up of old people, grave master workmen and women carrying babies. There were no children or young people among them.

• 9. In other struts…a dance: In other streets the processions were different. The music was much faster and one could see the glimmering light reflected from gongs and tambourines ( 小手鼓 ). The young people danced to the music as they moved forward. The whole procession was a dance.

• shimmering: shining with a soft tremulous ( 震颤的 ) light; glimmering

• 10. Children... out: the children ran about playfully.

• 11. their high…singing: a simile. The shouting of the children could be heard clearly above the music and singing like the calls of the swallows flying by overhead. flight: rising, settling or flying in a flock

• All the processions wound…city: The streets twisted and turned so the processions also twisted and turned as it moved forward.

•

• wound [waund]: past participle of the verb wind [waind] to make (one’s way) in a winding or twisting course. Pay attention to the pronunciation of the word.

• 13.Naked…arms: This shows the boys and girls were very natural and unsophisticated. They did not feel there was anything wrong in being naked and barefeet.

• 14. exercised... race: The riders were putting the horses through some exercises because the horses were eager to start and stubbornly resisting the control of the riders.

• restive ( 难控制的 ): stubbornly resisting control

• 15. Their manes…green: the manes ( 鬃毛 ) of the horses were also decorated with small silver, gold and green flags.

• 16. They flared…another: The writer uses personification here by treating the horses as human beings. The horses dilated ( 扩大 ) their nostrils, pranced ( 腾跃 ) about and seemed to be boasting to one another. All this shows the horses excitement before the race.

• 17. the horses being... own: a nominative absolute construction and a continuation of personification. The horse was the only animal that considered the ceremonies of human beings as also their ceremonies.

• 18. the snow... of the sky: a very beautiful metaphor describing the sunlit snow peaks. The white snow peaks glowing with golden sunlight seemed to be oil fire. The dark blue of the sky makes the golden peaks stand out more clearly.

• 19. one could hear... the bells: another beautiful metaphor but describing the beautiful music. The music through the streets far and near was as pleasant as the sweet perfume of flowers. The music was sometimes faint and distant but sometimes gathered in strength and finally climbed in the joyous clanging of bells

• winding: cf. wound, point 12

• 20. Joyous! ... Omelas?: The very short paragraph is a special feature of this piece of writing. The writer uses two short questions to introduce two important subjects. In the next long paragraph she describes the people of Omelas and expresses her views on joy and happiness, which is the main theme of the writer.

• 21. We do not…any more: The people of Omelas do not mention words like happy and joy because being happy is their way of life and is no longer a problem.

• 22. All smile…archaic: Smiling to show one’s happiness is old fashioned for theire is no need of it now.

• 23. Given... assumptions: After reading the above description the reader is likely to assume certain things.

• 24. Given... slaves: After reading the above description the reader may assume that Omelas is a feudal kingdom where one can see the king riding a beautiful horse surrounded by noble knights or followed by a golden litter carried by strong well-built slaves.

• Litter ( 轿子 ): a revered and curtained couch provided with shafts and used for carrying a single passenger

• 25. I do not know...singularly few: I do not know what the rules and laws of their society are but I guess they were exceptionally few.

• singularly: exceptionally, unusually• 26. These were not... bland utopians: The citi

zens of Omelas were not simple people, not kind and gentle shepherds, not savages of high birth, nor mild idealists dreaming of a perfect society.

• 27. The trouble is ... rather: The writer begins to criticize the views of pedants and sophisticates. Ordinary people have got into the bad habit of considering happiness to be something stupid. This view was encouraged by people who consider themselves learned and worldly-wise.

• 28. Only pain... interesting: These pedants and sophisticates declare that only pain stimulates the intellect and only evil arouses the interests of people.

• 29. This is the treason... of pain: An artist betrays his trust when he does not admit that evil is nothing fresh nor novel and pain is very dull and uninteresting.

• 30. If you… join’em: If you cannot beat evil then become evil yourself. This idea is put forward as an aphorism( 格言、警句、谚语 ).

• 31. If is hurts... repeat it: If something hurts then repeat it and you will not feel the

• pain as strongly as you did at first. Another aphoristic statement.

• 32. But to praise... everything else: The writer declares if you praise despair (can’t lick ‘ em) then you condemn delight and if you accept violence (repeat it) then you, in reality, give up everything else.

• 33. They were... happy: The people of Omelas were not like happy, simple and innocent children, though their children were happy.

• 34. They were mature... not wretched: They were fully developed and intelligent grown-up people full of intense feelings and they were not miserable people.

• 35. a city in a fairy tale... a time: Fairy tales generally begin in this way: “Once upon a time, long long ago in a country far away...”

• 36. Perhaps it would be best... occasion: Perhaps it would be best if the reader pictures Omelas to himself as his imagination tells him, assuming his imagination will be equal to the task.

• 37. for certainly…you all: For certainly I cannot describe Omelas in such a way as to satisfy all of you.

• 38. Happiness is based…destructive: This is the writer’s basic view on happiness. To achieve happiness one must be able to distinguish properly what things are necessary, what things are neither necessary nor destructive, and what is destructive.

• 39. In the middle…washing machines: In the middle group---things that are neither necessary nor destructive, things that bring comfort, luxury, abundance, etc. -- they could have such things as central hearing, subway trains, washing machines, etc.

• 40. all kinds... common cold: All kinds of marvelous things not yet invented here, such as, light that is provided by a device that is not fixed in one place, power that does not require the use of any fuel and a cure for the common cold.

• 41. Or they... matter: It doesn’t matter whether they have these things or not. They can be just as happy without them.

• 42. As... it: Picture Omelas to be as you like it to be or as your fancy bids ( 祝愿 ).

• 43. I thought... puritanical: At first I thought there would be no drugs but that is being too severe and rigid.

• puritanical: too rigid and severe morally

• 44. the faint…city: The faint but compelling sweet scent of the drug drooz may fill the streets of the city.

• 45. which first…limbs: The drug first makes your hands and feet seem light and your mind more keen and alert.

• 46. Then after... Universe: After some hours you fall into a lazy dream and have wonderful visions revealing the most mysterious and deepest secrets of the universe.

• arcana: plural of arcanum, secret or mysterious knowledge known only to the initiate

• 47. as well as... belief: It also increases the pleasure of sex enormously.

• 48. For more... beer: For those people who consider drugs to be too strong there will be beer.

• modest: moderate or reasonable; not extreme

• 49. The joy built… joy: The joy that is based on successfully killing a lot of people is not the right kind of joy.

• 50. A boundless… that of life: What fills the hearts of the people of Omelas with joy and pride is a feeling of great and unlimited contentment. They also feel a courageous triumph not over some outer enemy but in sharing with all that is fine and fair in the souls of all men and in the grandeur of the world’s summer. The triumph they celebrate is the victory of life.

• 51. The aces... entangled: The laces of the likeable children are sticky from eating sweet things and there are also crumbs of rich pastry ( 馅饼 ) in the grey beard of a kind and gentle old man. Notice the use of amiable and benign as transferred epithet.

• 52. never sees... the tune: The child playing the flute doesn’t notice the people who stop to listen to his playing for his eyes artfully concentrated in the sweet and lightly enchanting ( 迷人的、妩媚的 ) tune he is playing.

• 53. As if... signal: When the child stopped playing the flute there ensued ( 跟着发生 ) a short silence and it seemed to be a signal for the horse race to start.

• 54. All at once…piercing: Suddenly from a pavilion ( 亭阁 ) near the starting line of the horse race, a commanding, sad and shrill note of a trumpet sounds.

• 55. Some of them... in answer: Some of the horses seem to neigh ( 嘶叫 ) in answer to the call of the trumpet

• 56. “Quiet...my hope”: The riders calm their horses and tall them tenderly my beautiful horse, my hope for winning the race...

• 57. The crowds…in the wind: a simile. The crowds moving about along the racecourse were swaying back and forth like grass and flowers in the wind.

• 58. Do you believe? ...thing: another short paragraph to introduce the next important subject: the suffering and misery of a child upon which is based the joy and happiness of the citizens of Omelas

• 59. A little light…the cellar: A little light that appears in the dusty room does not come directly from a window for the room has no windows but from a cobwebbed ( 布满蜘蛛网的 ) window across the cellar. This light seeps ( 渗出、渗漏 ) into the room through the cracks in the boards of the room.

• 60. a couple of mops ... heads: The heads of the mops have become stiff thick lumps and evil smelling (because they have not been rinsed clean after constant use).

• head: the highest or uppermost part of a thing

• 61. The floor is... touch: The floor of the cellar was compacted earth and felt damp when you touched it.

• dirt: earth or garden soil; compacted earth• 62. a mere broom...room: It was nothing more

or other than a small room for keeping brooms or a tool room no longer in use.

• mere: nothing more or other than; only

• 63. Perhaps it was born…neglect: Perhaps the child was mentally retarded ( 智力迟钝的、发展迟缓的 ) because it was born m or perhaps it has become very foolish and stupid because of fear, poor nourishment and neglect.

• 64. It picks… genitals ( 生殖器 ): The subnormal ( 低能儿童 ) child uses its fingers to remove things from its nose and sometimes without any specific intention plays with its toes or sex organs as it does not know what to do.

• 65. the child has ... interval: Tile child doesn’t understand what time means and has no idea of how much time has passed from one incident to another.

• 66. It is so thin... protrudes: The child’s legs are very thin with no calves but its stomach is swollen. This is due to undernourishment and disease. It is perhaps suffering from dropsy.

• 67. Its buttocks ( 臀部 )... continually: The buttocks and thighs of the child are covered with sores ( 疼痛、痛处 ) that are filled with pus ( 浓、浓汁 ) because of the unsanitary conditions as it sits continually on its own excrement.

• excrement ( 排泄物、大便 ): waste discharged from the body; feces

• 68. They feel…superior to: The people who come to see the child feel disgust, a feeling which they had thought they were unaffected by.

• 69. Those... terms: All the prosperity and beauty and delight of Omelas depend on one condition -- they must do nothing to lighten the terrible misery of the child.

• terms: conditions of a contract, agreement, sale, etc.--that limit or define its scope or the action involved

• 70. that would... indeed: To throw away the happiness of thousands for the chance of the happiness of one would be a criminal thing to do. This would bring guilt into Omelas where there was none of it previously.

• 71. Often the young... paradox: Often the young people, when they have seen the child, go home crying for they feel pity and compassion and want to do something to help it but they cannot or they feel great anger and outrage because they feel helpless, bound by strict and absolute terms -- they may not even say a kind word to the child, if they do they will lose everything. This is the paradox, the contradictory situation.

• 72. Its habits... treatment: The habits of the child arc so crude and uncultured it will show no sign of improvement even if it is treated kindly and tenderly.

• respond: to have a positive or favorable reaction

• 73. Their tears... of reality: They shed tears when they see how terribly unjust they have been to the child but these tears dry up when they realize how just and fair though terrible reality was.

• 74. it is their tears... their lives: However, it is their tears, which are shed when their generosity is put to the test, and their anger, when they realize their helplessness, that truly makes their lives splendid and grand.

• try: to put to the proof; test• 75. Theirs is no...happiness: Their happiness i

s not dull and uninteresting and it carries responsibilities with it.

• 76. It is the existence... their science: The existence of the child and their knowledge of its existence is the reason that makes their buildings grand and impressive, their music moving and their science have great intellectual depth.

• noble: grand, impressive• poignant: emotionally touching or moving• profundity ( 深度、深刻、深奥 ): intellectua

l depth

• 77. At times…from Omelas: This is the most thought provoking paragraph. What kind of people are these who walk away from Omelas? Why are they leaving? Where are they going? What are they going to do? Tile writer leaves it to the reader to answer these questions.

IV. Writing SkillsIV. Writing Skills

• 1. Uses of specific words

• --bright-towered, sparkled with flags, red roofs, painted walls, burned with…

• 2. Variety of sentence structures

• 3. Using figurative language freely to make ideas more vivid and forceful

IV. Rhetorical DevicesIV. Rhetorical Devices

• 1. metaphor

• 2. analogies

• 3. repetition

• 4. balanced structures

• 5. ellipsis

• 6. rhetorical questions

Special DifficultiesSpecial Difficulties

• 1. Some terms

• 2. The use of topic sentences

• 3.The use of present tense and universal statements

• 4. Paraphrasing some sentences

• 5. Identifying figures of speech

V. QuestionsV. Questions

• 1. Describe the physical features of Omelas.

• 2. What are the people of Omelas like?

• 3. In what kind of a room is the child imprisoned?

• 4. How do you understand happiness?

AssignmentAssignment

• Finish all exercises.