Those Who Walk Away from Omelas
"Those Who Walk Away from Omelas" is a short story by Ursula K. Le Guin that presents a seemingly utopian city called Omelas. The citizens of Omelas celebrate a joyful festival, living in happiness and prosperity. However, their happiness is contingent upon the suffering of a single child, who is kept in a dark, filthy room and subjected to neglect and abuse.
The story explores the moral implications of this arrangement. While many citizens accept the situation, some choose to walk away from Omelas, rejecting the happiness built on the child's misery. Their departure symbolizes a refusal to participate in a society that sacrifices one for the many.