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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The man mentioned in the story's subtitle is a famous what?

2. LeGuin does NOT use what adjective to describe the adults of Omelas?

3. LeGuin says that it "is the treason of" (3) whom to refuse to admit "the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain" (3)?

4. The children in Omelas are described in what way when they are first mentioned?

5. LeGuin says that if it will help the reader like Omelas better, they should add what element?

Short Essay Questions

1. What event is taking place at the start of the story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas"?

2. What do the bells symbolize within the celebration of the Festival of Summer?

3. LeGuin laments the tendency for modern society to consider evil and pain in what way?

4. After the narrator states that Omelas sounds "like a city in a fairy tale," (3) what action does she suggest the reader take?

5. How is foreshadowing used within the story's description of the mountains in Paragraph 1?

6. What is the first question asked within Paragraph 2 and how does it contrast with the story so far?

7. How do the processions that include Omelas's livelier residents differ from other processions?

8. What evidence is given for the conclusion that people in Omelas do indeed have different identities?

9. What tone does LeGuin display when saying that Omelas sounds like a fairy tale?

10. What adjectives does the narrator use to describe the people of Omelas, before adding that their "lives are not wretched" (3)?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explicate the theme of guilt within "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas." What is LeGuin’s message regarding guilt and how do you know?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" and one of the story's main messages. How does LeGuin make connections between these elements and how does their juxtaposition help them get across one main message of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the type of tone LeGuin uses to depict the people who "walk away from Omelas" (14). How does this depiction connect to the story's messages?

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