What is the problem in the story?

The people of Omelas face an ethical dilemma when they learn about the existence of the child. They must choose between living with the knowledge of the child’s torture or leaving their home in order to forget. They must choose between the welfare of a city and the welfare of a lone child. The reader should notice that the people of Omelas always make one of two choices: either they live with the knowledge of the child or they leave the city altogether. No one ever attempts to release the child from its plight or to interact with the child in any way.

This situation speaks to a larger theme; that of the common man's reaction to any immoral or unjust situation that a person might learn about in their life. All members of a society know that there are homeless, starving, suffering people living amongst them, yet most of them either ignore the problem or accept it as a reality of life. Few people would be willing to sacrifice or risk their own happiness and stability to help alleviate the suffering of those nameless, faceless others.