Paragraph Two Tone: Frank, Direct
Annotation:
- “Given a description such as this one tends to look next for the King, mounted on a splendid stallion and surrounded by his noble knights, or perhaps in a golden litter borne by great-muscled slaves. But there was no king.”
The quote divulges the tone lucidly as its descriptions are direct and honest. It starts off with what people would expect from this city, but then boldly states that the expectations do not meet the reality.
-“I do not know the rules and laws of their society, but I suspect that they were singularly few.”
The author is frank as she admits her lack of knowledge of the city. She tells the readers that her thoughts are not absolutely true as she does not know the rules and laws of the city.
- "Omelas sounds in my words like a city in a fairy tale, long ago and far away, once upon a time" By describing the city as "a city in a fairy tale" the author frankly states that the characteristics of the city is fictional and unrealistic. Unlike many authors, Farrow does not intend to deceive the reader to believe that Omelas is a realistic city. Moreover, she directly distinguishes reality from fiction.
- “They were not naive and happy children—though their children were, in fact, happy. They were mature, intelligent, passionate adults whose lives were not wretched. O miracle!”
The matter-of-fact nuance of Le Guin’s description of the people of Omelas is clear in the quote above. She provides a description of what (not who) the children are and what the adults are.
- “Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting.”
Le Guin does not want to express with mere indirectness. In order to show contrast between the people of Omelas and the people of her owl world, she is unafraid to bluntly offer her thoughts on the world that she is a part of herself.
Tone: Frank, Direct
Annotation:
- “Given a description such as this one tends to look next for the King, mounted on a splendid stallion and surrounded by his noble knights, or perhaps in a golden litter borne by great-muscled slaves. But there was no king.”
The quote divulges the tone lucidly as its descriptions are direct and honest. It starts off with what people would expect from this city, but then boldly states that the expectations do not meet the reality.
- “I do not know the rules and laws of their society, but I suspect that they were singularly few.”
The author is frank as she admits her lack of knowledge of the city. She tells the readers that her thoughts are not absolutely true as she does not know the rules and laws of the city.
- "Omelas sounds in my words like a city in a fairy tale, long ago and far away, once upon a time"
By describing the city as "a city in a fairy tale" the author frankly states that the characteristics of the city is fictional and unrealistic. Unlike many authors, Farrow does not intend to deceive the reader to believe that Omelas is a realistic city. Moreover, she directly distinguishes reality from fiction.
- “They were not naive and happy children—though their children were, in fact, happy. They were mature, intelligent, passionate adults whose lives were not wretched. O miracle!”
The matter-of-fact nuance of Le Guin’s description of the people of Omelas is clear in the quote above. She provides a description of what (not who) the children are and what the adults are.
- “Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting.”
Le Guin does not want to express with mere indirectness. In order to show contrast between the people of Omelas and the people of her owl world, she is unafraid to bluntly offer her thoughts on the world that she is a part of herself.