Wave 3: Myths and Legends

OK, Bloggers:  time for the last wave of discussion for this unit.  Here is your prompt:

REFLECT on the myths presented in the various chapters of Left Hand of Darkness.  Consider them as little symbolic parables and ask yourself:  what does this myth tell you about Gethen culture? Some of the myths make direct connections to the plot.  Discuss some of the Gethen myths and folktales.  How do such stories function in a culture

Remember, the following people need to post, and your post is due by 6:00 p.m. on Monday, February 6.  ANYONE can comment, and everyone needs to comment at least twice over the course of this unit.

Wave 3 Bloggers:  John T., Stephanie T., Chris T., Paris T., Mark U., Alyssa V., Aaron V., Chania W., Brandon W., Kailyn W., Skyler W.

Cold and Lonely

The cold weather on Gethen contributes to the theme of isolation because typically being cold is associated with being alone. I know that when I think of extreme coldness, I picture some person all alone standing in the snow with a big coat on shivering to themselves. The cold just has a lonely connotation to it. Also, in the book during Estraven's isolation, he's primarily walking in the cold which further enhances the theme of loneliness that comes with extreme cold temperatures. When I'm  in cold weather I know that I mostly feel alone because I'm always shivering to myself to try and preserve my warmth, as I'm sure many others do.

The Loneliness in the Bitter Cold

In The Left Hand of Darkness, Genly often struggles with the cold more than anything else even more than his challenge of getting the Karhidish king to agree to join the Ekumen. While with the other prisoners, Genly was automatically suspected of not being able to withstand the cold like the typical Gethenian so everyone in the transport vehicle decided to let him be in the middle. This comforted Genly because while he was in fact the only one of his kind on this planet, this act of kindness from the Gethenians reminded him that he was not alone. To further explain this, let me put it this way. Often time one might find themselves in a situation where you are all alone and don't know anyone and then you have those group of friends who decide to meet you since you are all alone. Often time, the experience becomes better since you are no longer alone. It is the same thing with Genly. The cold is also a very strong reminder that he is alone because most people associate the cold with wanting to be with their loved ones and since Genly can't exactly be with his loved ones in the cold it makes him feel that much worse. Since Genly is from Earth, he sees the cold like the average human being but the people on Gethen always experience the cold so they are used to it and don't make the association of loneliness with the cold so the fact that they sheltered Genly from the cold must can indicate that Gethenians really aren't all that different from humans which must have really given comfort to Genly on this foreign and cold planet.

Perpetual Cold in Relation to Isolation in "The Left Hand of Darkness"

"Winter is an inimical world; it's punishment for doing things wrong is sure and prompt: death from cold or death from hunger." (Pg 99) 

One of Genly Ai's greatest struggles throughout the course of this novel is his constant battle with the cold. As we know, Gethen is also referred to as Winter for a very good reason; Genly, as a human, is not adapted to this perpetual cold like the Gethenians are and therefore has a far more difficult daily life. This struggle perpetuates the feeling of loneliness in Genly's life.

As an example, on his way to the Farm, Genly expresses that he and the other weak members were "recognized as being the least resistant to the cold, and each night we were at the center of the group, the entity of twenty-five, where it was warmest"(pg 170). Even though nobody in the van had ever spoken a word, the Gethenians picked up on Genly's susceptibility to the cold and allowed him into the middle of the pack for more warmth. Although this was an act of kind spirit, it still reinforces Genly's stark difference from the Genthenians- and the physical obviousness of it.  As much as he would probably like to forget that he is the only human on a strange far away planet, the cold is always a bitter reminder. 

Loneliness and Isolation

My favorite thing to do on a cold and or rainy day, as I am sure many of you can agree, is to stay inside with a warm cup of hot chocolate and watch movies. I do not feel like being social or even doing anything productive. The cold makes us want to retreat inside and we often stay there until it passes. In The Left Hand of Darkness, the cold does not pass. The temperature remains constant and is therefore a major part of Gethenian life. Gethenians do not have the energy or stamina to both fight the cold and to be outgoing and social. Therefore, the inhabitants of the planet are often isolated and lonely.

Also, due to the harsh climate, the people who live on Gethen are always bundled up in numerous layers of jackets and other clothing items. Here on earth, in my opinion, when I see someone with a hood up it is similar to a barrier. I see it as a way for people to isolate themselves from their surroundings and therefore do not want anyone to interact with them. Since Gethenians are even more layered than a sweatshirt and a hood, they most likely feel that barrier much more prominently.

When people think of cold weather they often tie that to gloominess and sadness whereas the sun and warmth usually are related to happiness and cheerfulness. The terms “cold soul” and “cold blooded” are used when referring to someone who is emotionless and who doesn't feel empathy. This is how I feel many of the Gethenians are in some cases because all of their strength, energy, and emotion is focused on the weather and their surroundings. In my opinion, their attitudes due to the weather assists in the isolation and the loneliness that they feel.

Coldness and Isolationism

While reading the novel, The Left Hand of Darkness, I didn't really make the connection between Gethen's weather and the theme of isolation; however, I remember Ms. Fletcher and Mrs. Vanderbaan talking about how the recent rain and weather makes us want to stay home where it's warm and comfortable.  We stay indoors because the weather outside is too cold and unpleasant for us; we are often isolated from everyone else.

Similarly, the constant, harsh environment prevents Gethenians from interacting with each other. Genly notes that "they are not a people who hurry" (41).  This suggests that the weather discourages Gethenians from rushing and communicating with each other.  They lack the energy necessary to be bustling about.  Isolationism is a result of this lack of energy.

In an entry written by a previous Investigator, the environment gets brought up again.  As she explains why war is such a rare concept to Gethenians, she believes that "the dominant factor in Gethenian life is not sex or any other human thing: it is their environment" (96).  By saying this, she is able to emphasize the impact of the weather on Gethenians' personality and their life style.  It shows that who they are is defined by their cold environment.  These people have become so used to surviving on their own.  They don't fight each other because they are too busy protecting themselves.  They don't interact as much because that, once again, takes energy.

Lastly, chapter two ties together both coldness and isolationism because it features a person who got exiled (Getheren?) and his journey on the freezing planet.  I think this draws a literal example of coldness and loneliness, but I am sure there is a more figurative importance to it.

AF: Wave Two! Question and participants

Here comes the prompt for the second wave of blogging for The Left Hand of Darkness.  Wave Two Bloggers must post in response to this prompt by 6:00 p.m. on Monday, January 30.  As before, anyone can comment on any post (Wave 1, 2, or 3), so by the time the unit is complete, you should have posted once, and commented twice.  Remember, we are always looking for students who are working ABOVE AND BEYOND the minimum requirements.

Wave Two:  How does the constant cold of Gethen contribute to the theme of loneliness and isolation?

Bloggers for Wave Two:  Alexis M., Bella M., Jasmine M., Tiffany N., Jeremiah P., Joel P., Susana P., Celeste P., Elizabeth R., Breanna S., and Taylor S.

Sex Roles and Gender in Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness

 Sex Roles and Gender in Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness
 
 
Though many themes arise in Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness,  sex roles and gender are two of obvious repeating themes. First considered in the introduction, the author immediately discusses the sexuality and ambiguous nature of gender on the planet Gethen, or Winter, where the story takes place. Gender issues arise in the story on several occasions from conflict within the protagonist, Genly Ai, to political interests to "kemmering".
When Mr. Ai, as he is referred to in the story, is introduced, the reader discovers that he is remarkably masculine like one would imagine from body structure to personality. The author describes to us the conflict that Ai has comprehending the Gethenian way. The fact that they are gender neutral for all but a few days a month befuddles him and this is a matter he debates several places in the book. On page twelve, he is sitting with Estraven and thinking about the fact that he is having difficulty seeing him as he is and then seeing him as an actual male or female. He discusses how Estraven’s efforts and performance at the table had been very "effeminate", and yet, he did not see him as a woman, Hmmm wonder why? I believe Le Guin assimilates this theme into her book to try to show the reader that maybe one day a place which being a man or woman does not predispose the life that one may maintain. She also shows the reader that a story which involves sex in whatever form it may take, can also exist without sex. The book deals with many issues that are as much not about sex as they are about sex. This is a way for the author to make an assurance that being a woman, that gender and sex are not always of main interest in a story such as this. In the book, because of their sexual courses, the people of Gethen are then able to focus on other, more important issues for a majority of the time - like politics and the experiences of their world. And yet, gender and sex roles are a part of this. as well. After all, in the midst of the book, King Argaven gets pregnant and it seems that even the people in the story find it somewhat strange. I believe though, that it may not be for the same reason that Ai, may find it odd. They see it problematic due to his age, while Ai is just thrown off by the fact that the King is with child. The others just think he is too old, which in hindsight may be why Argaven loses the child just after its birth.Political events on Gethen seem very "masculine", cold, unforgiving, and impersonal. Then on a personal level the same characters seem feminine, warm, and caring. When Ai, for example, comes to Orgoreyn and stays with Shusgis in his home. Shusgis seems to me, more effeminate in that he made Ai’s room very warm, literally and this showed a nurturing side to him, which I loved. Throughout the story there are no children to be found. The reader is told that children are sent away when they are small, but does this mean that they have no company with their parents, even after they have reached adulthood. This kept crossing my mind and I decided that  maybe it deals with the gender issue as well. Le Guin may have entirely taken the children out of the story because it would have made it very difficult to assign parental roles to the characters. If someone parented a child, they would have to act as the "father", but would they change when they were around the children they gave birth to? Gender comes up throughout the entire story of Left Hand of Darkness. Ursula Le Guin uses her story as a way to show the reader that a place could exist free of arranged sexual "norms" and roles for each person; that social and political affairs can be separated from personal lives, even to the basics of gender. The reader is advised of this right from the introduction. This is not a hidden meaning or theme. Le Guin needed her readers to think of this while reading her book. I trust she has succeeded.
 

Genly Ai's Views On Gethenians

In the novel Left Hand of Darkness, Genly Ai is sent to Gethen on an important mission. Genly has a hard time seeing Gethenians like the see themselves because there is a big difference in biology, for example, Gethenians are androgynous which basically means that a Gethenian can be either a female or male when going into kemmer. The world from where Genly comes from, everyone has a gender, unlike the Gethenians which is something Genly can’t seem to wrap his head around to. He imposes the male pronoun on genderless individuals which only makes him confuse himself. “…the form of self-consciously seeing a Gethenian first as a man, then as a woman, forcing him into those categories so irrelevant to his nature and so essential to my own,” Genly admits that he imposes this “gender role” bias because he’s never been expose to this and so he comes off as a sexist.  Another factor may be that in Gethen everything is different such as how the months and days go by and how Gethenians’ behavior, “ His face worked and changed, and he caught his breath in a sob. Most Karhiders cry easily, being no more ashamed of fears than of laughter.”(106) In this quote we see that Karhiders can be very emotional but we also know that earlier in the novel, they are hard to understand because they don’t express themselves like Genly would. As we can see Genly isn’t opened minded because he doesn’t try to understand these people, he’s been there for about 2 years and he still struggles to see them as they see themselves.

It takes more than a few years to understand a different people.

In the novel, The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursulak Leguin, the main character Genly Ai struggles to fit in with a new people. Genly is an envoy sent to a completely different planet, Gethen, which means Winter, his mission there is to establish a political connection from the Ekumen, a galactic governing body, to the planet. Genly not only has incredible difficulty adapting to the extremely harsh weather of the planet, but also a very difficult time trying to understand those who live there. His first concern is that the people of Gethen do not have a define sexuality this proves to cause many barriers in the way Genly approaches certain situations. Another problem is the fact that the king of Karhide, one of Gethens largest cities, is completely insane, and within his insanity lies a great fear of the mysterious alien, which makes the king view the envoy as a possible threat. Along with all of this Genly has to put up with the fact that no one in Karhide will actually tell him anything of what is happening. Genly's other problem which in a way he creates himself is the fact that he does not really want to believe in some of the Gethenian rituals "I had been longer in Karhide now than the Investigators had, and i doubted that there was anything to the stories of the Foretellers and their prophecies."-pg 55. Much like when Genly does this he prejudges other things of Gethen, such as when he lost an ally, Estrevan, and he thought that he had been completely betrayed.

Genly's Perspective of the Gethenians

Genly has an extreme struggle seeing individuals as humans because it is a very different way of where he comes from, after all he is an alien. The individuals view life very differently then Genly does. The Gethenians are not really known as male or female because they have both traits of male and female which is very different then what Genly is used to. The people of Gethen only have sexual feelings during what they call Kemmer meaning anyone can become pregnant no matter the sex of that person. The Gethans share this feeling once a month as to where Genly can reproduce where he is from when he wants to which is a weird feeling for Genly to understand. Everything is very unusal for both the Gethens and Genly. The people of Gethen seem really overwhelming to Genly in a way that is very hard to comprehend and I noticed what made me really get a sense of that was when The King said "I don't know what the devil you are, Mr. Ai, a sexual freak or an artificial monster or a visitor from the Domains of the Void but your not a traitor, you've merely been the tool of one." P- 32. Genly's attitude towards the Gethans reveals that they are very weird in many ways but to the Gethens Genly is the weird person to them and has characteristics that both don't seem to understand. Genly then has a rep as being sexist because he refers to everyone as a "he" because the people where he is from have genders that are humanly understandable. But Genly's main goal is to expand the universe  

Forcing Gethenians Into Categories

Genly Ai continuously pushes genders and sexual characteristics onto the people of Gethen. I think that is his main problem in seeing the people of Gethen as they see themselves. He realizes this is a fault and that he is "seeing a Gethenian first as a man, then as a woman, forcing him onto those categories so irrelevant to his nature and so essential to [his] own" (pg.12). The people of Gethen are androgynous, only receiving sexual characteristics during kemmer. Anyone is capable of becoming pregnant and having children just as much as they have the chance of fathering them. They don't have any types of boundaries surrounding gender roles. On Genly's planet they obviously have these gender roles in place. Not only that, but by the way that Genly Ai addresses the more feminine characteristics in his inner monologue it is evident he deems them lesser than the masculine characteristics they possess. One example that sticks out to me is the way that Genly addresses his "landlady, a voluble man" (pg. 47). Genly believes them to be a lady because of their "feminine" characteristics, but still addresses them as a man. He continues his description saying, "I thought of him as my landlady, for he had fat buttocks that wagged as he walked and a soft fat face, and a prying, spying, ignoble, kindly nature." (pg.48). This shows how the way Genly thinks and addresses the character does not only conflict with the fact Gethenians are genderless, but also against his own views as male/female being two separate labels. He uses them as he pleases to fit into the categories that are in place on his home planet. 

Genley Ai's struggle to relate with Gethenians

It is quite difficult for Genly to see Gethenians as they see themselves because the world is so different in many ways. The world he is forced to immerse himself in has a completely different biology and environment that Genly isn't accustomed to. This makes it difficult to relate with the Gethenians. First off their biology is different. The Gethenians are androgynous meaning that they can have physical characteristics of both sexes when in kemmer. It is shown from Genly the continued difference when he refers to characters as "he" when they have no specified gender. This is also shown when we later find out the king is pregnant which would make it confusing because he is referred to as a "he" because he is a king. It is also shown that he struggles to relate with Gethenians because of the environment. "They told me, keep the Envoy warm, he's from a hot world, an oven of a world, and can't stand our cold" (117). This quote displays how Genley has to adjust himself to the cold environment. " He fussed over my condescension in deigning to learn anything about his country... manners here were certainly different from manners in Karhide..."(119). This quote displays how Genly attiutde towards Gethenians displays how manners are even different in Gethen and he has to get accustomed to them. Genly Ai overall struggles to relate with Gethenians because of the different lifestyles. It is also difficult for Genly because he might not be as open minded. I think he is curious about Gethen but, he remains focused on the task at hand.

Genly's Attitude Towards Gethenians

Genly has a hard time to see Gethenians as they see themselves because they have a different lifestyle of which he is used to. Genly knows that Gethenians don't have a specific gender yet he as he describes them he always uses the pronoun "he" because likes us he isn't used to seeing "people" that don't have a gender. He also struggles because Gethenians function totally different to what he's been taught for example when Gethenians go into kemmer and things along those lines. The attitude that reveal about where Genly comes from is that he was raised to be sexist because he often describe some actions as feminine. Genly mentions, “I tried to, but my efforts took the form of self-consciously seeing a Gethenian first as a man, then as a woman forcing him into those categories…”(12)  in this quote he explains how he sees everyone as a male and later views them as a woman depending on their “characteristics” which seem to be sexist. I believe that Genly has a really has a hard time getting use to them because he’s not an opened minded person. “Some Gethenians, I thought, are like such animals, with deep bright eyes that do not change expression when you speak.” (15) Genly mentions that the Gethenian people don’t show a lot of an emotion so it’s difficult to know when they’re mad or upset because they show no gestures. Later on in the book he also states that Gethenians tend to be very sensitive and cry over simple things which kind of confuse me.

Genly Ai's Struggle to See Gethenians as He Sees Himself.

     His struggle to see these individuals as humans is quite hard due to their way of living.  Due to the different environment that these people live in, they have a different view in life.  As much as he'd like to understand them fully, it is futile to do so.  Since the Gethenians are gender neutral, it is hard to class them as male or female because in order to be one or the other, you need to have the gender's system.  So basically, this place is filled with beings that have some attributes of both men and women, some showing more than the other.  Genly, pronounced as Genry to them, describes a few people acting like a woman, but looking like a man.  When he met the king of Karhide for the first time, he stated that "He laughed shrilly like an angry women pretending to be amused." p-31  He can't really call the king a "he" due to the fact that these people don't have a gender at the very moment, but they are all basically refereed to as "he" because there isn't any other thing to call these people that look like a man, but have the gesture and grace of a women.  They only become fully male or female once a month while Genly is forever male.  The Gethenians find the fact that he's always male strange and perverted.  They do accept him as a person, but find him strange as he finds them strange.  If we were in his shoes, we'd feel the same way he is feeling in the story towards these people.  Even after all the time he has been on Winter, he has not fully understood their way of living.  It's hard to live a whole new lifestyle from which the one we are used to on Earth.  So if there comes a time that we can go to such a place, do pack a lot of supplies for the life ahead.  It sure is a cold and strange one to follow.

Genly's struggle to see Genthenians as they see themsleves.

Genly has a pretty difficult time seeing the Genthenians as they see themselves. One of the many reasons for this is by the way they live their life. On Gethan it is almost cold all the time there, so the Gethenians are adapted to that living style, whereas Genly is most likely used to warm temperatures. Also another reason for Genly's struggle is that the Gethenians are all androgynes meaning they can either be male or female. It is also possible for siblings to be kemmering with each other, so either one of them can sire and bear a child. To Genly, his views on the Gethenians are that they are unusual but to the Gethenians, Genly would be the unusual one. On Gethen. even the days of the months are different. Each day of the month has a unique name and the days are not grouped in weeks but the month is evenly divided in two halves of thirteen days. The Gethenians also divide each day into ten parts or hours and they start this time at noon. And this is strange and would get extremely difficult because back on earth where Genly is from, the days repeat themselves in the month and they would have the same names for the seven days of the week. Also on earth the days are pretty much grouped into weeks. Also another life style Genly had to struggle and get used to was the fact that the Gethenians only adopt sexual attributes once a month, whereas Genly can do it whenever.

AF: The Left Hand of Darkness - Wave One

WAVE ONE:

Discuss Genly Ai's struggle to see Gethenians as they see themselves. What do Genly Ai's attitudes reveal about the world he comes from?

Reminder, your post should be between 250-300 words long. Anything shorter will not be effective. Also, include page numbers when you reference the text.

Wave 1 responders, you have until 6:00 pm Monday, January 23th to post your response to this question. All other students in the class may comment on any of theLHoD posts at any time.

Who shall post:
Richey A., Jessica C., Seth C., Navid C., Ryanne C., Eugene D., Robert G., Nick G., Rachel G., Jose G., Khalil H., Mikayla L., Michael M.

Remember, anyone can comment on these posts.  The total requirement for this novel is ONE blog post and TWO comments, and as always, I hope some students will EXCEED EXPECTATIONS and go ABOVE AND BEYOND this 1:2 minimum requirement.