2022_심화영어

05 10 15 20 25 Why is the child referred to as “it”, not “he” or “she”? Q6 What is the tone of the passage towards the child’s situation? Q7 What emotions does the passage evoke in the reader? Q8 But there is nothing they can do. If the child were brought out of that place, if it were cleaned and fed and comforted, that would be a good thing indeed; but if it were done, all the prosperity and delight of Omelas would wither and be destroyed. Those are the terms. To exchange all the goodness of every life in Omelas for that single improvement, to throw away the happiness of thousands for the happiness of one: that would be to let guilt within the walls indeed. The terms are absolute; there may not even be a kind word spoken to the child. Often the young people go home in tears when they have seen the child and faced this terrible paradox. They may brood over it for weeks or years. But as time goes on they begin to realize that even if the child could be released, it would not get much good of its freedom. It is too degraded to know any real joy. Indeed, after so long it would probably be wretched without walls around it to protect it. Their tears at the bitter injustice dry when they begin to perceive the terrible justice of reality and to accept it. Theirs is no irresponsible happiness. They know that they, like the child, are not free. They know compassion. It is the existence of the child that makes possible the nobility of their architecture, the poignancy of their music, the profundity of their science. It is because of the child that they are so gentle with children. They know that if the wretched one were not there in the dark, the other one, the flute player, could make no joyful music as the young riders lined up for the race. wither brood injustice poignancy profundity New Words 146 Special Lesson