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streets, between the houses with yellow-lit windows, and on out into
the darkness of the fields. Each alone, they go west or north, towards
the mountains. They go on. They leave Omelas, they walk ahead into
the darkness, and they do not come back. The place they go towards is
a place even less imaginable to most of us than the city of happiness. I
cannot describe it at all. It is possible that it does not exist. But they
seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from
Omelas.
COMPREHENSION CHECK
I. Summarize the information about the author of the story in
no more than five sentences.
II. Answer the following questions:
1. What do you learn about the city of Omelas from the first
paragraph of the story?
2. Is Omelas a typical American city with traditional social values
and ideals? Justify your point of view.
3. How are the citizens of Omelas described? Why are they “not
simple folk”?
4. How are the author’s speculations about happiness mingled with
the description of the inhabitants of Omelas? What is happiness from
the author’s point of view?
5. Is it usual that a city or town “strikes as goody-goody”? What is
meant by this phrase?
6. While talking about Omelas Ursula le Guin continually uses the
words “joy” and “joyous.” In what contexts do they appear in the text?
Why?
7. How does the tone of the narration change when the author
starts talking about “one more thing”? Can you say that there is a
sudden change in the mood of the story?
8. What do you learn about the child? Why is the child referred to
as “it”?
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9. How is the child described? Why is it kept imprisoned and in
horrible conditions?
10. Everybody knows that the child is treated with no respect and
no mercy, but nobody does anything about it. What is disgusting about
this attitude? Why don’t they act? What reasoning do the people use to
come to terms with themselves?
11. Does the author sound sympathetic, indifferent, or
disapproving when speaking about the child? How do the citizens of
Omelas feel about it? Prove your point of view by quoting.
12. Why do some people walk away from Omelas? Who are they
and where do they usually go?
13. Is Omelas a “city of happiness”?
14. Where is the climax of the story? How does the tone of the
narration change after it?
15. What is the conflict of the story?
ACTIVE VOCABULARY
to sparkle (v) — 1. to shine brightly with flashes of light; 2. to be full
of enthusiasm or humor
to make assumptions
assumption (n) — something that is taken as a fact or believed to
be true without proof
stock exchange (n) — a place where stocks, bonds and shares are
bought and sold and a business of doing so
treason (n) — the crime of great disloyalty to one’s country; betrayal
of trust or faith; treachery
sophisticate (n) — a sophisticated person
sophisticated (adj) — 1. not simple, artless, naïve, etc.; urban,
wordly-wise, knowledgeable, perceptive, subtle, etc.: a sophisticat-
ed audience who appreciated the subtlety of the play 2. designed or
appealing to sophisticated people 3. highly complex, refined or
developed; characterized by advanced form, technique, etc.:
sophisticated equipment
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to condemn (v) — to express a very strong disapproval of someone or
something: Most people would condemn violence of any sort.
2. to state a punishment for a guilty person, esp. a punishment of
death or a long imprisonment: The prisoner was condemned to
death. 3. to force into an unhappy state or situation: His bad leg
condemned him to a wheelchair.
to rise to the occasion — to show that one can deal with a difficult
situation when it happens: When the foreign guest failed to arrive,
the host rose to the occasion and made a very amusing speech
himself.
exuberance (n) — great happiness and excitement
exuberant (adj) — overflowing with life and cheerful excitement:
His paintings are full of exuberant color.
to cease (v) — to come or to bring something to an end; to stop
piercing (adj) — 1. (of wind) very strong and cold; biting 2. (of
sound) very sharp and clear, esp. in an unpleasant way: a piercing
cry 3. going straight to the center or the main point; penetrating:
piercing eyes; a piercing question
feeble-minded (adj) — mentally retarded, subnormal in intelligence
(term no longer used in physiology)
feeble (adj) — (derog) weak, lacking force, not effective
malnutrition (n, fml) — the condition resulting from a lack of food/
the right type of food
abominable (adj) — 1. fml causing disgust and horror: abominable
crime; 2. infml very bad or unpleasant: abominable weather/food/
music
injustice (n) — the fact of being unjust, unfairness
just (adj.) — morally right and proper, fair. Antonym: unjust.
outrage (n) — 1. (against) a very wrong cruel act: an outrage against
public dignity 2. anger caused by such an act
outrageous (adj) — 1. very offensive: outrageous language
2. exceeding all bounds of reasonableness: outrageous prices; an
outrageous hat 3. violent in action or disposition, unrestrained
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terms (n, pl) — the conditions of an agreement, contract, etc.
to come to terms with — to accept (something one does not want
to accept): It’s hard to come to terms with going blind.
brood (v) over, about — to spend time thinking anxiously or sadly
about something, worry or ponder: Don’t just sit there brooding
over your problems.
compassion (n) — sympathy, sorrow for the suffering of others
accompanied by an urge to help: She showed great compassion for
the sick old man.
credible (adj) — deserving to be believed, trusted, or taken seriously:
a credible story; a barely credible excuse. Antonym: incredible
adolescent girls or boys
adolescent (adj) — developing from childhood to maturity,
growing up
adolescent (n) — a boy or a girl from puberty to adulthood, young
teenager of about 13 — 16
poignancy (n) — deep feeling of sadness and pity
profundity (n) — depth of knowledge, thought
EXERCISES
I. Divide the text into parts between the group members and
translate it into Russian. Pay special attention to the sentences with
the active vocabulary. Discuss and improve the translation in class.
II. Paraphrase the following sentences using the active
vocabulary:
1. The stranger seemed to be looking for a specialized hospital for
mentally retarded people and children with learning disabilities.
2. The depth of linguistic knowledge and analytical precision
characterize his work.
3. He is very lively and cheerful, his behavior can be excused as
youthful happiness and excitement.
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4. This newspaper stopped to exist about a month ago due to
financial difficulties and lack of psychological counseling and legal aid.
5. Her diamond shone brightly with flashes of light attracting the
attention of the possible robbers.
6. The deep sadness of the music affected her deeply, but she kept
listening to the CD.
7. He was accused of disloyalty to his own country — spying on
the matters of national security interest.
8. “Wonders will never come to their end,” he said, noticing that
the road signs had finally been fixed.
9. Lack of good care and bad nutrition caused a major problem
with his body functions and led to a nervous break-down.
10. The boy’s behavior seemed disgusting and horrifying, and he
was asked to leave the room immediately.
11. Emily Dickinson wrote her whimsical, darting verse living as a
recluse in Amherst.
12. The international project “Young people’s life in Russia and the
U.S.” was a great success.
13. He pondered for several days over what she had said.
14. Though her story seemed easy to believe, he doubted her
sincerity.
15. Mr. Brown’s kindness and sympathy moved Sally to tears.
16. “I have to accept your conditions, but I still believe your
behavior is grossly offensive,” Jack mumbled.
17. “I know we are in trouble, but it’s the right time for you to
show you can deal with a problem and save Emily,” Mr. Jackson said.
18. Her shyness doomed her to a life of loneliness.
19. Don’t believe this is all true on the basis of the information
from newspapers.
III. Answer the following questions using the active vocabulary:
1. When do people’s eyes sparkle with joy/excitement/ enthu-
siasm/humor? Think of possible situations and describe them briefly.
2. Can you think of any examples of high treason in the history of
Russia or the U.S.A.?
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3. Are witty and exuberant people pleasant to deal with? In what
situations?
4. What are the realities of Russian and American life that ceased
to exist after the end of the Cold war?
5. What was the attitude to feeble-minded people (юродивые) in
Russia in old times? Remember the “holy fools” from Russian history,
Dostoyevsky’s novels, etc. Has this attitude changed now? What is it
like in the U.S.A.? Are people with mental disabilities treated equally
in the two countries?
6. What can malnutrition lead to? Can it have any dangerous
consequences?
7. I there anything abominable in your life? What in particular?
8. Can you think of any Russian and American movies or songs of
great poignancy and beauty?
9. Is profundity of knowledge a value in American society? In
Russian society?
10. On the basis of what do people make assumptions about
politics and politicians?
11. Have you ever had any incredible coincidences in your life?
12. Should people have compassion for condemned criminals?
13. Do you know how a stock exchange operates? Would you like
to visit the New York Stock Exchange?
14. Were you happy as an adolescent? Why do you think many
adolescent boys and girls feel self-conscious and miserable?
15. Have you ever been in a situation when you had to come to
terms with your conscience?
16. Can a person with a piercing voice be a good lecturer?
17. What kind of poetry would you characterize as sophisticated?
IV. Translate into English paying attention to the active
vocabulary:
1. Приезжий оратор сумел очаровать публику короткими, но
запоминающимися фразами, искрящими юмором и шутками.
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2. Плохое питание только усиливало симптомы заболевания, в
котором он не хотел себе признаваться: прогрессирующее слабоумие.
3. Глубина, с которой Джейн провела лингвистический ана-
лиз, приятно удивила преподавателя.
4. В связи с экономическими трудностями биржа прекращает
свою работу с первого числа следующего месяца.
5. Его обвинили в государственной измене и приговорили к
смертной казни. Ду
гнусное преступление.
6. Он часами сидел в комнате, предаваясь размышлениям о
своем отрочестве, проведенном в большом гостеприимном доме.
7. Лили пронзительным голосом кричала, что не простит
несправедливости и никогда не сможет смириться со своим
положением.
8. Сострадание — вот что спасет мир.
9. Его безу
печалью, которую испытывала Мэри.
10. Я не верю твоим оправданиям — придумай что-нибудь
более правдоподобное.
11. Допустим, он весьма искушенный тип — ну и что? Это не
значит, что ему надо прощать его отвратительное поведение.
12. Когда ситуация уже казалась безнадежной, Билли оказался
на вы
соте, произнеся остроумную речь о трудностях семейной
жизни.
маю, что он заслуживает наказания за свое
держное веселье резко контрастировало с глубокой
V. Make up a card with three sentences for translation from
Russian into English and two sentences for translation from
English into Russian using your active vocabulary.
LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS
1. Read the text again and find infinitive constructions performing
different functions in the sentence (subject, predicate, etc). Translate
them into Russian.
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2. Find examples of Subjunctive Mood and explain its use in the
context.
3. Do long or short sentences prevail in the text? Why? What is the
effect achieved?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. According to the introduction, the story is about “reciprocal
relationships, illustrating the sort of golden rule that whatever you touch,
touches you.” Do you agree or disagree? Justify your point of view.
2. The author speaks a lot about happiness. Find the extracts that
deal with it and express your own attitude towards Le Guin’s
speculations. Do you agree that “happiness is based on a just
discrimination of what is necessary, what is neither necessary nor
destructive, and what is destructive”?
3. What other feelings does the author speak about (guilt, joy,
compassion, etc)? Do you agree with Le Guin’s comments?
4. Is it right “to throw away the happiness of thousands for the
chance of the happiness of one”?
5. What is “the terrible paradox” of the story?
6. Would you say that this story is deeply philosophical? Why or
why not?
7. What values does the story deal with? Have they been discussed
in the text American Beliefs and Values?
8. How do social values fit in a society that encourages
individualism?
9. How is the theme “Individual and Community” revealed in the
story?
TEXT 2
ON THE ONES WHO WALK AWAY FROM OMELAS
by Ursula Le Guin
The central idea of this psychomyth, the scapegoat, turns up in
Dostoyevsky’s Brothers Karamazov, and several people have asked
me, rather suspiciously, why I gave the credit to William James. The
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fact is, I haven’t been able to re-read Dostoyevsky, much as I loved
him, since I was twenty five, and I’d simply forgotten he used the idea.
But when I met it in James’s The Moral Philosopher and the Moral
Life, it was with a shock of recognition. Here is how James puts it:
Or if the hypothesis were offered us of a world in which Messrs. Fourier’s
and Bellamy’s and Morris’s Utopias should all be outdone, and millions kept
permanently happy on the one simple condition that a certain lost soul on the
far-off edge of things should lead a life of lonely torment, what except a
specifical and independent sort of emotion can it be which would make us
immediately feel, even though an impulse arose within us to clutch at the
happiness so offered, how hideous a thing would be its enjoyment when,
deliberately accepted as the fruit of such a bargain?
The dilemma of the American conscience can hardly be better
stated. Dostoyevsky was a great artist, and a radical one, but his early
social radicalism reversed itself, leaving him a violent reactionary.
Whereas the American James, who seems so mild, so naively
gentlemanly — look how he says “us,” assuming all his readers are as
decent as himself-was, and remained, and remains, a genuinely radical
thinker. Directly after the “lost soul” passage he goes on,
All the higher, more penetrating ideals are revolutionary. They present
themselves far less in the guise of effects of past experience than in that of
probable causes of future experience, factors to which the environment and
the lessons it has so far taught us must learn to bend.
The application of those two sentences to this story, and to science
fiction, and to all thinking about the future, is quite direct. Ideals as
“the probable causes of future experience” — that is a subtle and an
exhilarating remark!
Of course I didn’t read James and sit down and say, ‘Now I’ll write
a story about that “lost soul.”’ It seldom works that simply. I sat down
and started a story, just because I felt like it, with nothing but the word
”Omelas” in mind. It came from a road sign: Salem (Oregon)
backwards. Don’t you read road signs backwards? POTS, WOLS
nerdlihc. Ocsicnarf Nas... Salem equals schelomo equals salaam
equals Peace. Melas. 0melas. Omelas. Homme helas. “Where do you
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get your ideas from, Ms. Le Guin?” From forgetting Dostoyevsky and
reading road signs backwards, naturally. Where else?
ACTIVE VOCABULARY
to give credit to somebody — to make somebody worthy of praise or
respect
with a shock of recognition
recognition (n) — the action of identifying somebody
lost soul — someone who does not seem to know where they are or
what to do, often used humorously
to lead a life of lonely torment
torment (n) — severe physical or mental suffering
to clutch (v) at — to try to seize something, esp. suddenly
bargain (n) — a thing bought or sold for less than its usual price
when this is to the advantage of the buyer
application (n) — a formal request to do something
EXERCISES
I. Make up your own sentences or situations to show how the
additional vocabulary can be used in a context.
II. Translate into Russian paying attention to the active
vocabulary:
1. Credit for this victory goes to everybody in the team.
2. They never give Gene any credit for all the extra work he does.
3. In 1991, Bush granted diplomatic recognition to Russia.
4. Are there any lost souls here today?
5. She lay awake all night in torment.
6. The journey must have been a torment for them.
7. It’s difficult for us to understand the torment the hostages are
going through.
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