September 16, 2016 - 16:13
In “Slipping”, the concept of slips is used to illustrate how we often attempt to deal with inequalities by simply ignoring them, and how this method fails to provide the motivation necessary to effect real change. Slips are politically incorrect statements or acts which weren’t intended to cause harm. Slipping can spark reactions on its own, as we saw in the string light incident in “Slipping”. However, the real damage comes not from slipping, but rather from neglecting the issues that lie beneath these slips. The function of slips is not to cause offense, but rather to shed light on issues that many of us would rather keep buried beneath the surface, for fear of upsetting the order of things. As Emily Elstad, whose essay “Slipping into Something more Comfortable: Huckleberry Finn and the Discourse of ‘Nigger’” is quoted in “Slipping” says, “Thinking metaphorically, sometimes only by slipping and falling to the floor do we noticed that there is something down there that needs to be cleaned up.” (Cohen 256) We need slips to stop us from becoming complacent, and to remind us that there is still work to be done to eradicate inequality.
Without slips, the city of Omelas, in “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin, would seem like an impossibly perfect utopia. Le Guin begins the short story by describing the beauty of this town and its inhabitants, who were, “mature, intelligent, passionate adults whose lives were not wretched.” (Le Guin 1) In this story, the equivalent of slips aren’t signals of institutional racism, sexism, homophobia etc., but rather focused on the one tragic soul whose suffering is necessary for the inhabitants of Omelas to remain happy. The child is not kept in plain sight, but rather kept in a cellar or basement, in a room with, “one locked door, and no window.” (Le Guin 3) The adults of Omelas all know that this child exists and that it is suffering, and they pass this knowledge on to their children, but for the most part they are content with this child’s misery. It is common knowledge in Omelas that this child has to be there and that there is nothing they can do to improve the child’s situation without harming the whole town. Despite this, there is supposedly no guilt in Omelas.
However, the reader knows there must be guilt, or some other emotion, that drives certain people to walk out of Omelas. It seems that rather than there being no guilt, the citizens of Omelas manage to not feel guilty by putting the suffering child far from their minds. However, some people, because of slips, are forced to acknowledge the child’s pain, and are moved enough by it to leave this supposed utopia. In this story, seeing the child is a means of slipping. When the citizens of Omelas visit the child, they get a quick glimpse into the truth about how Omelas is able to stay so beautiful. When we slip, it provides a window into the inequalities and suffering that exists in our society.
Furthermore, in both cases, the mere act of slipping is not enough. All the children in Omelas visit the miserable child and everyone in our society will slip at some point. However, only a few people will use the knowledge gained from this slip to make a change. It seems there is less hope for Omelas, since as far as the reader knows, no one has tried to free the child. Even so, walking away from Omelas is still a bold act, since it acknowledges that Omelas is not as perfect as it appears on a surface level. In our world, it seems like slips have a greater potential to lead to real change. If you catch yourself slipping, and using a racial stereotype, for example, you can use that as an opportunity for growth. The slip could provide inspiration to learn more about people from other cultures and backgrounds, and an opportunity to gain understanding about the ways in which stereotypes demean and dehumanize people of color. Most people ignore their slips, or apologize and move on, but it is possible for slips to lead to change, at least on a personal level.
In Omelas, the steps taken after slipping would look different, but still serve to show the importance of not treating slips like mistakes or one-time occurrences. A productive response to a slip in Omelas could be starting a discussion about freeing the child or bringing other people to see it. The important thing is that they do not let their feelings of disgust or anger about the child’s situation dissuade them from dealing with it. It is far too tempting to call a situation hopeless and use that as an excuse to continue living your life as you always have. Le Guin describes the mindsets of the citizens of Omelas, saying that “They would like to do something for the child. But there is nothing they can do.” (Le Guin 4) This kind of thinking is what prevents progress, it is the reason why no one in Omelas speaks out.
A person in Omelas may only encounter the child once, but that doesn’t mean that the child isn’t still existing and suffering the rest of the time. You may not hear racial slurs said aloud very often, but that doesn’t mean that racism has ceased to affect people’s lives. It’s important to not brush slips under the rug or excuse them on the grounds of good intentions. Slips aren’t inherently good or bad, but merely signs that there is work to be done. It is our choice whether or not we embrace these slips and the change that they can create. However, if we choose to ignore these opportunities for progress, then we are making a commitment to keep ignoring them for the rest of our lives. Problems won’t go away because we ignore them, it takes motivation and action to bring about change. We should not be content with walking away from the injustices of our society, but rather should channel our feelings of discomfort and guilt towards creating a better future.