"The Ones Who Walk Away form Omelas" & "Harrison Bergeron" Responses

The Ones Who Walk Away form Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin

I actually really like the story The Ones Who Walk Away form Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is not the first time I have read it, but the story is interesting enough to where you cannot get bored of it from rereading it ever so often. I feel that the story implies a strong point. Also, I love how Le Guin presents the story in such a way that it leaves the readers to form a difficult opinion. This being whether or not the people who stay in Omelas or the people who leave it are the stronger ones. Both sides make impressive arguements in the story as either one can claim that their actions are stronger and then defend it. However, I think that in the end both sides reach a standstill and cannot fully prove that their side is better than the other. Such is why I find the story to be so good and entertaining to read.

Whenever I read The Ones Who Walk Away form Omelas, I wonder how the author, Ursula K. Le Guin, came to write it. It would seem that writing the story out would be less difficult than thinking up the story and what it is about. I just wonder what caused Le Guin to think of this story in such complex terms. or at least the story seems deep and complex to me.

Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

This was my first time reading Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and frankly I loved this story. Harrison Bergeron to me seems like a three page alternative to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, Ayn Rand's Anthem and other various similar works. The futuristic theme with the dystopian society is well used and tried. Yet, I found Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. to be an enjoyable read nonetheless. I felt that despite the story's lengh, Harrison Bergeron managed to present differences that counted for the short story's over-used themes. Variety is a definate way to keep genres from going stale in my own opinion.

It felt odd to be reading Harrison Bergeron along with The Ones Who Walk Away form Omelas. I understand why they were read together since they both focus on imaginary societies that sacrifice something in order to keep their society in order. However, I felt that the points that the authors of the stories were trying to make were not so similar. I felt that if what the authors seemed to imply was similar the stories would have fit together and compared much better.