In the novel The One Who Walk Away from Omelas, Ursula K. Le Guin shares her imagination with her readers. Le Guin keeps us on the edge of our seats with it. She lets us believe that Omelas seems to be a happy and perfect place to live, only to find out things are not always what they seem to be.

Le Guin describes the people of Omelas with such strong words. "They were not naive and happy children-though their children were, in fact, happy. They were mature, intelligent, passionate adults whose lives were not wrenched"(394). Leaving us only to conclude that this place in fact is a lovely place to live, a joyous city indeed. The author tells us of a legal drug and sex beyond belief.

"I thought at first there were no drugs, but that is puritanical. For those who like it, the faint insistent sweetness of drooz may perfume the ways of the city, drooz which firsts brings a great lightness and brilliance to the mind and limbs, and then after some hours a dreamy languor, and wonderful visions at last of the very arcane and inmost secrets of the Universe, as well as exciting the pleasure of sex beyond all belief; and it is not habit forming. For mor

In the story "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman, Harlan Ellison reveals to us a world that as it was, and the world the people allowed it to become. This world has peace and strict order of time that is kept by one who is known as the Ticktockman. There is another man known as the Harlequin who flies around causing all sort of havoc for the Ticktockman and the city.

Le Guin gives a description of the city of Omelas as if it were a fairytale; where else but a fable can such things occur? Beautiful nudes marvel about, indulging in drugs and orgies is

It is sick to think that putting a child through all this pain and torture can help to keep a city joyous. The people are made to believe that the misery of one child will help to keep order in their lives.

The two stories hold much of the same qualities. Both authors stress the importance of order. The people of Omelas need a child to be tortured so there could be beauty in their joyous city, while in the world of the Ticktockman order is to be kept with strict time or you are turned off. Both authors also display a lot of fabricated scenes, each giving the reader their own version of the "perfect world". The people of Omelas lived by the laws of going to see a child tortured in horrible living conditions. The Ticktockman has his people living by a clock

Some common words found in the essay are:
Le Guin, Ticktockman Harlequin, Harlan Ellison, joyous city, le guin, people omelas, Perfect Worlds, sex beyond belief, sex beyond, world people, city omelas, ticktockman harlequin, child tortured, beyond belief, city joyous,
Approximate Word count = 900
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)