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In Ursula K. Le Guin’s "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" and N.K. Jemisin’s "The Ones Who Stay and Fight," readers are presented with two utopian settings that prompt us to reflect on societal ideals that shape our daily lives and beliefs. Omelas appears like an ideal society on the surface but sustains itself on the suffering of a child. In contrast, Um-Helat is a society that embraces joy, inclusion, and harmony but is vigilant against ideological contamination. Both stories elaborate upon how communities manage happiness, suffering, and social control. Through these works, LeGuin and Jemisin challenge us to rethink the costs of sustaining universal societal ideals.

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In Omelas, nature is a serene, pastoral backdrop that symbolizes peace and simplicity. It offers the people who reside there an escape from the guilt that lies behind their prosperity. The mountains, races, and festivals embody a sense of freedom and beauty, yet all this is possible only because the suffering of one child is hidden from view, as seen in the following quote: “One of them may come and kick the child to make it standup. The others never come close, but peer in at it with frightened, disgusted eyes” (LeGuin 3). In contrast, Jemisin’s Um-Helat represents nature as joyful participation. The Day of Good Birds celebrates diversity, with citizens embracing creativity, community, and care for the environment. These two worlds illustrate how nature can serve as both a mask for hidden injustices and a symbol of inclusive happiness.

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Cultural Representation - Care and Happiness in Um-Helat

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Cultural Representation - Care and Happiness in Um-Helat

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Jemisin’s depiction of Um-Helat emphasizes care and relationships between community members. Farmers, merchants, and artists are celebrated equally, reflecting a cultural understanding that well-being depends on society as a whole. Jemisin explains they “are all honored for this choice, as much as the soarers and flutterers themselves—for without contrasts, how does one appreciate the different forms that joy can take” (Jemisin 2).  This aligns with the course material on inclusive environmentalism, which critiques the idea that some people or professions are more valuable than others. Jemisin’s vision suggests that a truly just society prioritizes care and joy for all citizens. Culture is thus seen through practices that promote harmony between all and ensure that joy is not exclusive to only a few.

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Both LeGuin and Jemisin explore the theme of suffering, which is explained as a cultural phenomenon, but from different angles. In Omelas, the city’s happiness and beauty depend on the devastating life of one child, forcing residents to accept this sacrifice for the greater good. Jemisin’s Um-Helat offers a contrasting approach, where suffering is actively fought against through social control and intervention. Both stories challenge readers to consider whether societal happiness can exist without someone suffering and explore how communities' cultural practices might aid them in justifying or fighting against that suffering for the greater good. In Um-Helat, Jemisin explains “There are no worshippers of mere tolerance here, nor desperate grovelers for that grudging pittance of respect which is diversity. Um-Helatians are learned enough to understand what must be done to make the world better, and pragmatic enough to actually enact it” (Jemisin 5). This indicates societies can have very different social outcomes based on their environmental ideals and shared cultural responsibilities.

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Freedom and Responsibility in the Commons

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Freedom and Responsibility in the Commons

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LeGuin and Jemisin present different models for managing societal values, reflecting the relationship between freedom and responsibility. Omelas offers freedom with little intervention, but the cost is the child's suffering. Um-Helat, by contrast, actively manages freedom by controlling ideas to protect the community's well-being. These stories align with the course discussion on the “commons,” where unchecked freedom can lead to ruin if not managed responsibly. This pushed readers to reflect on the cultural responsibility required to maintain the harmony and balance of nature which provides individual liberty and collective well-being. This is indicative of an intersection between nature and culture.

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In Omelas, LeGuin uses nature to expose the implicit power structures of the community. While all the residents of the town are able to enjoy the beauty of the environment, this privilege comes at the cost of the suffering of one. This is deemed necessary for the happiness of many which reflects that many societies have a hierarchical power structure that gives greater value to certain lives over others. Nature is used to cover up and justify this power structure because it is seen as something that is "obtainable" and only so if sacrifices are made. In comparison, in Um-Helat, power is more equitably distributed. Everyone is honored and it reflects a society where nature is maintained by each person's contributions and values. Everyone equally gives to the environment, and everyone equally gets something back from it. This stark difference in the portrayal of power shows that a truly inclusive society must recognize how important each individual is in sustaining both the environment and community.

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LeGuin’s Omelas presents nature as a passive backdrop for human activities. The residents interact with nature through the Festival of Summer, but the environment itself remains indifferent to human choices. The mountains, parks, and fields provide joy, but they do not influence or reflect the community’s moral decisions. LeGuin explains, “They all know it is there, all the people of Omelas. Some of them have come to see it, others are content merely to know it is there. They all know that it has to be there. Some of them understand why, and some do not,” referring to the locked-up child (LeGuin 3). In contrast, Jemisin’s Um-Helat encourages active engagement with nature. During the Day of Good Birds, children and adults participate in activities that celebrate the environment, from wearing wings to flying mechanical birds. This interaction reflects the community’s values of care and cooperation, illustrating that the relationship between people and nature is reciprocal and central to societal well-being.

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By navigating nature vs culture in LeGuin and Jemisin's readings, we are challenged to think critically about societal values, environmental ethics, and personal responsibility. Both stories highlight the importance of managing shared spaces and values, suggesting that communities must actively engage with their ideals to avoid perpetuating harm. We see how nature presents a way of life and culture acts as the means to reinforce these ideals. The intersection between the two formulates the two utopian societies as they are presented in the readings. Class discussions on the commons and environmental metaphors connect directly to these texts. They remind us that maintaining harmony and well-being requires ongoing efforts to address inequality. LeGuin and Jemisin ultimately suggest that ethical societies are built not by passive acceptance but by actively choosing care, accountability, and justice for all.

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One of the ways the authors emphasize culture in their texts is by bringing the readers into the call for action. Jemisin's "The Ones Who Stay and Fight" breaks the fourth wall and invites readers to reflect on how Um-Helat compares to “our world.” It challenges us to confront the inequalities and injustices we accept in everyday life and fight for an equitable future. It essentially sparks a thought about the current culture of our society and how easily we ignore inequities on a daily basis. The story encourages critical thinking about societal norms, suggesting that change must come from actively rejecting harmful ideologies. Jemisin’s narrative aligns with course discussions on environmental representation, showing that utopias are not passive but require constant defense against destructive forces. In return, readers are left to consider their own role in shaping a better world and actively changing our culture for the better.

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In LeGuin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from the Omelas" and Jemisin's "The Ones Who Stay and Fight" demonstrate that nature and culture are not completely distinct and overlap in shaping societal values. In Omelas, the festivals and rituals celebrating nature are deeply embedded in the city's culture. Yet, this cultural happiness relies on nature overshadowing the ethical burden of the suffering child. Nature becomes both a stage for cultural celebration and a mask for societal guilt. In Jemisin's Um-Helat, nature is actively interwoven with the cultural practices of the town, rather than being separate. This is seen in the Day of Good Birds celebration where children and adults embrace natural motifs. Here, both nature and culture reinforce values of inclusion, vigilance, and joy, promoting a collective harmony built through active participation by all. Both texts suggest that the line between nature and culture is blurred, with each shaping the other. Cultural values influence how people engage with nature and nature provides a framework for the way of life and ethics.