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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. How many locked doors does the scapegoat's dwelling have?

2. The faces of the children at the festival are described as "amiably" (4) what?

3. The people who see the scapegoat child do NOT feel what emotion?

4. What action is taken to get the scapegoat child to move?

5. What adjective is used to describe the horses' legs?

Short Essay Questions

1. What answer does LeGuin expect from the reader in answer to her four questions and why?

2. For what purpose does LeGuin include the motif of pain within Paragraph 8?

3. In what way does LeGuin magnify the role of the child musician within Omelas?

4. What details are given about the scapegoat child's present?

5. What is LeGuin's purpose for portraying the child who plays a musical instrument within the community of Omelas?

6. How does the scapegoat child's behavior change over time?

7. Describe the child who plays a musical instrument within Omelas.

8. Describe the woman who hands out flowers during the festival.

9. How is the truth about the scapegoat child revealed to young members of Omelas society?

10. For what reason does LeGuin focus on the citizens' awareness of the scapegoat child's presence?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What claims is the story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" making about the human condition and why?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” from an Existential perspective. What elements of life does it suggest hold the most meaning and why?

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 794 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample