After reading LeGuin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" and Jackson's "The Lottery" which both describe the ritual destruction of individuals to benefit the community, discuss the following:
a) Both stories set up a contrast between the seemingly happy normal community and the shock of discovering the individual suffering on which it is based. Describe both communities and tell which story do you think makes this contrast most effectively? Explain why you feel this story is more effective.
b) Considering the broader moral issues of the stories, do you feel that there are ever situations in which communities are entitled to require that innocent individuals suffer for thebenefit of the community? If so, what are those situations? If not, how would you provide for situations that might seem to require it?