Scapegoating has been around for as long as humanity because it is in human nature to gather as one and abuse a person who is different from the rest of society. In the article “What is Scapegoating”, the author delves into the process of scapegoating, claiming, “[Scapegoating] origins are in child and animal sacrifice; it is manifested through genocide and mass slaughters, such as the Holocaust … in schoolyards and work settings” (Colman 26). In other words, scapegoating was formulated by violence, and is continuing with violence, more specifically “through genocide and mass slaughters”. Genocide is defined as the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation. The person or group has an individualistic quality that sets off an instinctive action to hurt them, and destroy the quality. …show more content…
Additionally, in “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”, a short story about a utopian land with a cruel secret, the author depicts the idea of scapegoating in a shocking plot twist. There is a child locked away in a basement, and is the source of the town’s happiness. Everyone knows about it, but they do nothing, reasoning, “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 and imbecile to know any real joy” (Le Guin 136). The choice of the words “too degraded and imbecile” depict the contrast between the child’s lifestyle and the land’s, who know ‘real joy’. This contrast portrays the town’s excuse for dehumanizing the child, allowing it to reside in a torturous and abusive state. The pronoun use of ‘it’ furthermore displays how less they think of the child, just a mere object who allows prosperity