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.
I agree, I think that he is somewhat overwhelmed with the androgyny of Gethen. Because it is so foreign to him its not easy to reside openly with such a thing. Its of a different world.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you and I think gender roles are why Genly has such difficulty fitting in with the Gethenians. He has an overwhelming urge to place the people who live on Gethen into the categories of male or female. Not only does he place the Gethenians into categories but the characteristics that determine what category they will get placed into is sexist. Genly often refers to those that are soft or weak as characteristics that could only possibly describe a woman, and not a man. Throughout the book his sexism becomes increasingly obvious the more he discusses why he thinks of a specific Gethenian as female or male. Although, it is not completely his fault and is partly due to the fact that he was raised on a planet where gender is the first thing noticed by others. Additionally, often times on Genly's home planet, soft or weak is associated with women.
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